Ellen DeGeneres will see a bit of normalcy in Ellen Show this week as she welcomes 40 live studio audiences to the set of the talk show.
According to Variety, there will be 40 live studio audiences in this week’s episode. And 70 other guests will be featured on the show virtually. Ellen DeGeneres hasn’t seen live audiences since the show premiered last month.
The guests that will be granted entry into the studio have been subjected to strict health and safety protocols. They will also be seated a few feet away from each other to coincide with the rules of social distancing.
Ellen DeGeneres filmed at home in March
In March, DeGeneres was forced to film episodes of Ellen Show from the comfort of her home due to the outbreak of coronavirus in the United States.
She hosted Season 17 with very few live guests and no live audiences. Most of the celebrity and non-celebrity guests on Ellen Show were interviewed by the comedian virtually.
Ellen DeGeneres will have live audiences for 12 Days of Christmas
Ellen Show will, reportedly, welcome the 40 live audiences just in time for Halloween. After all, this is an occasion that the staff and DeGeneres go all out for.
DeGeneres will continue to admit a small group of live audiences in time for her 12 Days of Giveaways. During the 12 episodes, DeGeneres gives out generous gifts to her audiences and fans.
‘Ellen Show’ ratings on a steep decline
The appearance of the live Ellen Show audiences may also help boost the program’s ratings. According to reports, there has been a downward spiral when it comes to the ratings for Ellen Show.
Following the premiere episode, the ratings for Ellen Show, reportedly, saw the biggest year to year decline of any daytime talk show.
According to Next TV, the ratings for the program are down by 42 percent compared to the ratings of Ellen Show this time last year.
The comedian addresses the toxic work environment claims
There was just a slight increase in viewership during the premiere episode because Ellen DeGeneres addressed the toxic work environment claims from this past summer. But since then, Ellen Show hasn’t recovered ratings-wise.
“As you may have heard, this summer there were allegations of a toxic work environment at our show, and then there was an investigation. I learned that things happened here that never should have happened. And I want to say I am so sorry to the people who were affected. I know that I’m in a position of privilege and power. And I realize that with that comes responsibility, and I take responsibility for what happens at my show,” Ellen DeGeneres said.
Images used courtesy of Smalljim, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons and photo by Alan Light, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons