This year’s Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show was watched by fewer people than ever before, ratings data has revealed.
The lingerie brand’s annual soirée attracted 3.3m viewers when it aired in the US on 2 December, which marks a significant drop from last year, when the show boasted 5m viewers.
According to figures published by Nielsen, the show's ratings have been dropping continuously since 2013.
The all-time low might have something to do with this year's event switching networks and time slots, going from CBS on a Tuesday to ABC on a Sunday.
Alternatively, it could be down to the three week gap in between the show being taped and aired, with countless photographs and videos already having been seen by the broadcast date.
But, given how much controversy this year’s event attracted, it’s quite possible that the drastic drop in viewers is down to people either losing interest or boycotting the show altogether.
Shortly before the show was taped, Victoria’s Secret’s chief marketing officer Ed Razek was vilified on social media for comments he made about excluding plus-size and transgender models from the cast.
Speaking to Vogue, the 70-year-old businessman said he didn’t think “transsexuals” should walk the runway because “the show is a fantasy”.
He later issued an apology for his remarks, claiming he would “absolutely cast a transgender model for the show”.
But the comments prompted a major backlash, leading to singer Halsey, who performed at this year's event, to distance herself from the company in an Instagram post, which read: “as a member of the LGBTQ+ community, I have no tolerance for a lack of inclusivity, especially not one motivated by stereotype.”
The 24-year-old urged fans reading the post to direct their attention to GLSEN, the US charity that provides support to young members of the LGBT+ community.
"Complete and total acceptance is the only 'fantasy' that I support," she concluded.
