The Duggar Family Seems To Be Easing Josh Back Into The Spotlight, And Fans Are Conflicted

Josh Duggar has not been featured yet on the 19 Kids and Counting spinoff series, Counting On. After being the primary reason behind the cancellation of the conservative family’s first hit reality TV show, the disgraced Duggar son has largely remained under the radar. Even during his sister Jinger’s wedding last year, TLC made it a point to shoot the massive event while keeping Josh away from cameras.

Recently, however, Counting On viewers and avid fans of the iconic conservative Christian family have noticed that the Duggar family seems to be intent on easing Josh back into the spotlight. This, of course, has led the family’s social media followers to be split in the middle, with some airing their reservations about the eldest Duggar child’s return, and others stating that the time is right for Josh to come back to the family’s ongoing reality TV series.

Speculation regarding Josh’s return was sparked after the eldest Duggar child, together with his family, expressed their congratulations to Jill Duggar Dillard and her husband, Jeremy, who just welcomed their second child, Samuel Scott Dillard. While the congratulatory video was brief, many Duggar family fans noticed that Josh was not hidden in the video at all. Instead, he was featured prominently in the brief clip, even speaking directly to the camera by himself.

The nature of the short clip has managed to catch the attention and interest of many viewers and avid fans of Counting On, with many speculating that the video was probably a way for the Duggar family to test the waters regarding Josh’s return to the show. In the official Counting On subreddit alone, many noted that the family does appear to be easing Josh back into the cameras, with one user remarking that the recently uploaded congratulatory video might be the eldest Duggar son’s first step towards his eventual return to reality TV.

“(They) definitely have been easing him back in lately. I’m sure he will get some smaller appearances here and there on the show. Maybe just in the background to start. Then maybe, a simple short question. Then, the entire family will be back.”

The idea of Josh Duggar’s return to the ongoing Counting On series has been in the rumor mill for quite some time now. Just last May, In Touch Weekly published a report stating that Jim Bob Duggar has been hard at work convincing TLC to revive his disgraced son’s TV career. Citing an insider, the magazine reported that Josh would indeed be featured in a future webisode of Counting On, though his appearance would be quite brief.

“He spent a month trying to convince TLC that Josh should be back on the show. They finally caved and agreed to let him film an upcoming Counting On webisode where he’ll talk about his joy at learning he’s going to be a father again. If the episode is well-received, he’ll appear on the next season of Counting On.”

While Josh’s return to the hit reality TV series seems plausible, many remain skeptical that the disgraced Duggar son would be allowed back on television at all. Josh Duggar, after all, has courted multiple controversies in the past, ultimately resulting in the cancellation of the Duggar family’s first hit reality series, 19 Kids and Counting.

Writing on the official Counting On subreddit, one of the family’s followers stated that Josh Duggar would probably not be featured again in the family’s current TLC series. After all, the ongoing show, Counting On, debuted at the height of Josh’s controversy. Thus, there is a chance that TLC would be extremely wary of bringing the disgraced Duggar son back to reality TV.

“I honestly think TLC will never let him on the show. It’s probably in the Counting On contract.”

The Duggar family is still featured on the 19 Kids and Counting spinoff series, Counting On, which airs every Monday night on TLC.

[Featured Image by TLC]