The formerly beloved program, which has won a series of awards from the Emmy’s to the PCA’s, has had a tough time recovering from the allegations of workplace misconduct and sexual harassment earlier this year. DeGeneres spoke out about the issue, apologizing for the problems which were ignored for so long, but it seems that viewers, guests, and advertisers alike are all weary of the stigma now surrounding the show.
News of the toxic workplace was released in an exclusive story on Buzzfeed News in July, and staffers have since turned to the same source to reveal the struggles the show has been facing after the initial claims. While the pandemic raging in the meantime likely isn’t helping the financial state of the show, according to Buzzfeed News, December is typically a powerhouse month which has netted disappointing results this year.
According to a current employee who spoke out on the situation, The 12 Days of Giveaways initiative has been unable to pick up as much traction as it has in previous years. “In a typical year, ‘12 Days Of Giveaways’ is huge...But this year, our ‘12 Days’ is more condensed. We don’t have as many sponsors.” Yikes!
The same employee went on to explain that the booking of A-List guests has rapidly declined since the scandal, with the show desperately scrambling for any celeb to fill slots and try to boost numbers. Many businesses have struggled this year under the pandemic, but The Ellen DeGeneres Show now suffers from self-inflicted wounds that should have been healed internally years ago. Only time will tell if DeGeneres can get ratings back up and reclaim her spot as America’s favorite daytime host.