NEWSMAKERS

NEWSMAKERS

Unusual ‘Bachelor’ finale pays off for ABC in ratings race

NEW YORK

An unusual ending to ABC’s long-running attempted love matches on “The Bachelor” paid off for the network.

Both parts of the finale to the 23rd edition of the series hit the Nielsen company’s top 10 last week, as bachelor Colton Underwood – who started his reign as a virgin – revealed he was dating contestant Cassie Randolph.

That wasn’t initially the plan, since Underwood jumped a fence to abandon the two women who had been finalists to chase Randolph, who had left the show.

The show’s performance led ABC to its fourth weekly win in a row among viewers age 18 to 49, the demographic its advertisers chase. That’s ABC’s longest streak among this group in nearly four years.

CBS won the week among all viewers, averaging 6 million people watching in prime time. ABC had 5.1 million, NBC had 4.5 million, Fox had 2.7 million, Univision and ION Television tied with 1.37 million, Telemundo had 1.1 million, and the CW had 900,000.

For the week of March 11-17, the top 10 shows, their networks and viewerships: “NCIS,” CBS, 12.08 million; “The Voice” (Monday), NBC, 10.54 million; “60 Minutes,” CBS, 10.1 million; “FBI,” CBS, 8.96 million; “NCIS: Los Angeles,” CBS, 8.47 million; “Bachelor Season Finale” (Tuesday), ABC, 8.24 million; “The Bachelor” (Monday), ABC, 8.16 million; “Blue Bloods,” CBS, 7.84 million; “The Good Doctor,” ABC, 7.78 million; “This is Us,” NBC, 7.75 million.

Wendy Williams reveals she is living in ‘sober house’

NEW YORK

Wendy Williams said she’s living in a “sober house” because of addiction struggles.

The 54-year-old talk-show host tearfully revealed the information Tuesday to the audience at “The Wendy Williams Show.” She said the only other people who knew about where she was living up until her announcement Tuesday were her husband and son.

Williams said she works out after her show and then is driven by her “24-hour sober coach” to a home where she lives “with a bunch of smelly boys who have become my family.”

She said she has been addicted to cocaine in the past and never sought treatment.

Associated Press