Teresa Giudice Could Lose Massive ‘RHONJ’ Paycheck: Ratings Flopped!

Teresa Giudice may be behind bars, but she still took the time to watch The Real Housewives of New Jersey: Teresa Checks In this past weekend. Teresa wasn’t really a part of the show, as the cameras focused on her family and their struggles without her home. One can imagine that Teresa was thrilled to see her family, including her husband. It was revealed that Joe Giudice is only allowed to visit her twice a month due to his background. He has been charged as a felon and is therefore limited in his visits.

But Teresa Giudice must have been thrilled to see her daughters on television. Even though Giudice was happy to see her family on television — she even held a viewing party for fellow prisoners — it sounds like Bravo isn’t too pleased with the viewer ratings. This three-part special started this past Sunday, and it sounds like viewers aren’t digging the show.

According to a new Radar Online report, Teresa Giudice’s future with Bravo could be in trouble based on the ratings. The first episode pulled in a mere 1.231 million viewers. While a million viewers sounds like a lot of people, it isn’t a lot when you think about the Real Housewives of New Jersey success.

Those numbers are lower than every single episode of The Real Housewives of New Jersey Season 6, which showcased Giudice’s legal troubles and the lead-up to her incarceration. Plus, it wasn’t a favorite season for many viewers because of the twins and the departure of Caroline Manzo and Jacqueline Laurita.

Teresa Giudice’s lawyer is convinced that she will do well once she returns to the show. He has actively been working on a deal with Teresa to return to Bravo. And it is possible that they are working on a spin-off show for her as she returns home. Her lawyer expects her to be released on December 23 so she can spend the holidays with her family before Joe Giudice turns himself in.

So, why did The Real Housewives of New Jersey: Teresa Checks In flop so badly in ratings? One possibility is the fact that Teresa wasn’t a part of the show. Giudice did call home and speak to her family through the phone, but fans didn’t see what her life was like behind bars. Plus, many know that Joe is struggling for money, so it is possible that he only did the show to make some extra money. And if he doesn’t enjoy filming the show, fans won’t enjoy watching the show.

As Joe explained on The Real Housewives of New Jersey: Teresa Checks In, he is limited to the kind of work he can do. He isn’t allowed to get a mortgage so he can do a flip. And he isn’t allowed to drive to various job sites because he doesn’t have a license, so he relies on friends and family to help him out. And while Joe is making good money from filming The Real Housewives of New Jersey: Teresa Checks In, he was supposedly furious that Melissa Gorga was making money as well. She was rumored to make $100,000 for her presence on the three-part special.

Since Joe was the primary breadwinner before he was arrested and charged with fraud, it will be interesting to see what Teresa Giudice does for work when she is released. Not only is she planning on filming The Real Housewives of New Jersey with Bravo, but she is also planning on releasing her first book. The book is called Turning the Tables: From Housewife to Inmate and Back Again and it will be released on February 9, 2016 – just 7 weeks after she is released.

“While we’ve all watched Teresa’s life unfold on television, Turning the Tables will mark the first time we will hear all of Teresa’s incredible life story, including her recent stint in prison”, says publisher Jennifer Bergstrom, according to People Magazine.

What do you think of the horrible ratings for Teresa Giudice’s spin-off?

[Image via E! Online]