Ellen DeGeneres’ ratings are down 43% after ‘toxic’ workplace scandal

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The September 2020 season premiere of “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” that saw the show’s namesake address rampant accusations of a “toxic” workplace behind the scenes drew record viewership — but it doesn’t look like viewers are sticking around.

Ratings for the syndicated daytime talk show are down over a million viewers on average, according to Nielsen data reported by The New York Times, despite the Season 18 premiere being the highest rated opener in four years.

The show’s drawn about 1.5 million viewers on average over the past six months — compared to 2.6 million during the same period the previous season.

That’s a 43% drop in overall viewership and the show’s target audience of women is off 38% and data indicates a 20% drop in ad revenue, according to The Times.

The bad news doesn’t stop there for DeGeneres — her primetime, non-syndicated “Ellen’s Game of Games” on NBC is down 32% as well.

Both shows are produced by Warner Bros. and the talker airs on NBC owned stations in major markets with “Game of Games” an NBC network exclusive.

Meanwhile, “The Kelly Clarkson Show,” which has been circulated as the heir apparent to “Ellen” when DeGeneres decides to fold up her chair and also carried on NBC owned stations, is delivering around 1.5 million viewers — on part with “Ellen” and other shows such as “Maury” and “The Steve Wilkos Show.”

DeGeneres came under fire over the summer of 2020 as multiple reports of harassment and toxic behavior surfaced, something that didn’t mesh well with the host’s cheery, “be kind” tagline.

Those accusations joined longtime rumblings that DeGeneres’ off camera behavior doesn’t quite jive with her kindness message.

Warner Bros. and the show conducted an internal investigation, which eventually lead to the firing of executive producers Ed Glavin and Kevin Leman along with co-executive producer Jonathan Norman.

DeGeneres was interviewed in 2018 about her career’s future and contract renewal and indicated she may be interested in exploring other opportunities.

She ultimately renewed her deal, but regularly takes at least one day off a week — with a guest host filling in.