NEWSThe Ellen DeGeneres Show Receives Lowest Ever Ratings, Former Employee Tony Okungbowa Speaks Up
Ratings for The Ellen DeGeneres Show are in a slump.
The ongoing scandal — alleging the show's work culture to be toxic, harassing, and racist — have had a significant impact on the show's ratings, as it managed to get only a 1.0 Live + Same Day rating in the week of July 26, as revealed by The Wrap.
The downfall has been steady — to put things into perspective, the show saw its ratings falling by 29 percent from last year's period.
Compared to the week prior, the ratings fell by nine percent.
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Now, the actor and DJ Tony Okungbowa, who had worked on the show, has opened up about his experience on the long-running program.
In an Instagram post that he put up Tuesday, Okungbowa said that he did "experience and feel the toxicity of the environment" during his time on the show.
"While I am grateful for the opportunity it afforded me, I did experience and feel the toxicity of the environment and I stand with my former colleagues in their quest to create a healthier and more inclusive workplace as the show moves forward," added the permore who now now stars in CBS' Bob Hearts Abishola.
In July, the show's staffers had laid out a series of accusations in a Buzzfeed report, citing several executive producers from the show, including Ed Galvin and Kevin Leman.
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Responding to the accusations, DeGeneres said in a memo that she felt sorry for whatever was going on.
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"On day one of our show, I told everyone in our first meeting that The Ellen DeGeneres Show would be a place of happiness - no one would ever raise their voice, and everyone would be treated with respect," she wrote.
"Obviously, something changed, and I am disappointed to learn that this has not been the case. And for that, I am sorry. Anyone who knows me knows it's the opposite of what I believe and what I hoped for our show."
DeGeneres explained that she could not "stay on top of everything" as the show grew and that she trusted others on the job to take care of things.
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"Clearly some didn't. That will now change and I'm committed to ensuring this does not happen again... I'm also learning that people who work with me and for me are speaking on my behalf and misrepresenting who I am and that has to stop," she explained.
She added: "As someone who was judged and nearly lost everything for just being who I am, I truly understand and have deep compassion for those being looked at differently, or treated unfairly, not equal, or - worse - disregarded. To think that any one of you felt that way is awful to me."
DeGeneres' character also came under scrutiny in March after several tweets by comedian Kevin T. Porter had requested his followers to post about her "mean" tales. The post blew up and received much feedback, revealing several details about DeGeneres.
