TLC’s Jon & Kate On Hold

LOS ANGELES: Following Monday night’s episode of Jon & Kate Plus 8, during which the much talked about couple announced they were filing for divorce—garnering a record 10.6 million viewers for TLC—the Discovery Communications-owned cable network has announced that the series is going on hiatus until August.

TLC is set to air a retrospective of the Gosselin family—parents Jon and Kate, a set of 8-year-old twins and 5-year-old sextuplets—on June 29 before the series goes on hold till August 3. “TLC continues to support the Gosselin family and will work closely with them to determine the best way to continue to tell their story as they navigate through this difficult time,” the network said in a statement.

The couple’s marital strife has become popular fodder for entertainment magazines and websites, with both accused of having affairs. The scandal has resulted in a major ratings boost for the show, with the latest season premiering to almost 10 million viewers. Monday night’s episode scored the biggest audience yet, with viewers tuning in to hear what TLC was billing as a major announcement for the couple. “It’s just not good for our kids for us to be arguing in front of our kids,” Jon Gosselin said on the show. “We can’t be cordial with one another."

The show, TLC’s most popular production, will continue, now focusing separately on each parent with the kids.