‘Real Housewives Of New York’ Cancelled? Drinking Problems And Health Issues Too Much For Viewers?

Despite the promises of another drama-filled season, the premiere of The Real Housewives of New York failed to attract viewers. In fact, the debut episode featured the lowest ratings in the history of the show. Will the series be able to turn things around before it’s too late, or is a cancellation on the horizon?

According to Radar Online, the highest ratings for The Real Housewives of New York was in the third season. Back then, Bethenny Frankel used her nude photo shoot to bring in a little over two million fans. However, even at its height, The Real Housewives of New York hasn’t matched up well against other locations in the franchise. In comparison, The Real Housewives of Atlanta attracted close to three million fans for the premiere of Season 8.

As far as the latest premiere is concerned, only 1.245 million fans tuned in to catch up with the cast. Considering all of the drama that was promised in the build-up to the new season, the low ratings are definitely a major concern for the franchise. If things don’t improve in the coming weeks, there is a very real possibility that the series could get cancelled before the season concludes.

That being said, the eighth season of The Real Housewives of New York has plenty of drama on its plate to attract viewers. According to Radar Online, the biggest source of drama concerns Frankel’s health scare and newcomer Jules Wainstein.

In order to hook fans, the network kept Frankel’s illness a mystery prior to the premiere of the new season. While the illness did not turn out to be life-threatening, producers made it sound like it was a very serious affair.

“It’s one of those things that’s very common with women,” Carole Radziwill shared. “She [Frankel] was very honest and direct about it. We filmed at doctors’ offices. I think she was as vulnerable as I’ve ever seen her. It’s no joke. You have to be careful about that stuff, and you have to take care of yourself.”

In addition to Frankel’s health scare, producers hoped to draw fans with the introduction of Wainstein as a new face on the show. In the opening episode, Frankel addressed the issue of the newcomer’s weight and thought that her co-star might have an eating disorder.

“I think Bethenny legitimately said how she felt,” Radziwill stated in regards to Frankel’s weight comments. “And also, I didn’t know this until we talked about it this year: Bethenny’s mother had a very bad eating disorder, so she’s very familiar with the signs of that.”

Speaking of Wainstein, People is reporting that the newbie is already making friends with some of the older cast members on the show. In particular, Wainstein has warmed up to Ramona Singer, who appreciates Wainstein’s positive outlook on life.

“She’s a woman who definitely embraces life and she enjoys life and she doesn’t take anything too seriously,” Singer told the outlet. “She has a positive attitude. I like that about her.”

As far as Singer is concerned, the reality star has a few new things about her that might surprise fans. According to the Daily Mail, this includes new breast implants, which Singer showed off in a tight-fitting dress.

“Ramona’s got some new t**ties. It is hunting season,” Frankel joked.

Despite the eating disorders and breast implants, the show’s premiere still failed to garner the interest of fans. With an entire season still ahead, the cast members have a lot of work cut out if they want to avoid cancellation.

The Real Housewives of New York continues Wednesday nights on Bravo.

Tell us! Are you tuning in for Season 8 of The Real Housewives of New York? Let us know in the comments below.

[Image via Bravo]