'Jon & Kate' ratings 'continue to plunge'

The ratings for Jon & Kate Plus 8 have continued to plunge after the show made its return from hiatus.

The TLC reality series was off the air for a six-week period, during which time the pair had announced that they were to divorce on a June episode before the break. When the programme returned earlier this month, it had lost approximately 6m viewers since their proclamation.

However, the ratings have dropped even lower for its second outing with a 3.5m audience share. TV experts have speculated that the show may not survive in its current format, Us Weekly reports.

"I don't know if the show can make that new transition [from two parents raising eight kids to one parent raising the children]," said Robert J. Thompson, director of Syracuse University's Television and Popular Culture centre. "It's like if The Cosby Show, mid-season, suddenly became Married With Children."

Earlier, Kate Gosselin revealed during an appearance on Live With Regis And Kelly that a reconciliation with her husband Jon was unlikely.