TLC’s hit reality show Jon & Kate Plus 8 returns to TV Tuesday night with all new episodes of season five – and a lot of changes. Following a messy summer filled with tabloid rumors and flying divorce papers, Jon and Kate Gosselin will no longer be sharing a couch every episode, or even a house.
When the new episodes of Jon & Kate Plus 8 premieres Tuesday night, don’t expect to see Kate Gosselin and soon to be ex-husband Jon Gosselin spending any time sharing the spotlight. Instead, Jon and Kate will be spending time separately with their 8 children in their former family home in Pennsylvania.
When not with the kids, Jon Gosselin will be off at his new condo in Manhattan, likely spending time with one of his various ‘lady-friends’. Kate Gosselin, meanwhile, will likely be spending her off time from the children at her reported new home in Maryland – close to her alleged boyfriend.
“Instead of seeing Jon and Kate together with the kids, you’ll see Kate with the kids, Jon with the kids – and as they all go through a transition, you’ll see glimpses of that transition,” Laurie Goldberg, senior vice president of TLC, said in a press statement. “Instead of ‘Jon and Kate and the kids take a trip, and look how hard it is to get all of them in that minivan,’ now it’s going to be, ‘Oh, my God, how is Kate going to get them all in the minivan by herself?'”
Gone will be the series’ post-show discussion couch, shared by Kate and Jon Gosselin while they chat about the happenings during the episode. “The show comes back on Monday, and most new episodes remain a work in progress,” TLC president Eileen O’Neill said during a press conference about the new season. “But I will tell you, the iconic couch is gone. Jon and Kate will have separate chairs for their interviews.” Watch a promo for the new episodes below:
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As for how the separation and impending divorce will affect the show, O’Neill feels it will only bring more audience to the series. “Half the kids out there are living with single parents,” O’Neill said. “There are over 10 million single-parent homes. And seeing a family that’s going through that, you know, could be relatable.”
“It’s a subject many, many Americans are familiar with,” said O’Neill. “And we’re dealing with it in a respectful and sensitive way.”