Katie Couric's interview with Manti Te'o delivered ratings gold for Couric's syndicated daytime talk show "Katie." And unlike Te'o's significant other, the numbers are real.
Thursday's "Katie" episode with Te'o scored a 2.6/7 metered-market household rating -- the highest rating for the show since its Sept. 10 debut.
In contrast, the Wednesday episode of "Katie" averaged a 1.9/5.
The rating also represents a 30 percent boost over the prior four-week average for "Katie."
In addition, the sit-down with the football player placed "Katie" at the top of its time slot in the top markets of New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Philadelphia.
During the interview, Te'o said he had been hoaxed when he was learned that his supposed girlfriend -- a woman he called Lennay Marie -- was a fiction. She supposedly died of leukemia in September.
However, Te'o -- who was fawned over by sports media because of the fraudulent story -- chose not to divulge the truth.
"You stuck to the script," Couric replied. "And you knew that something was amiss, Manti."
"Katie, put yourself in my situation," the football player said. "I, my whole world told me that she died on Sept. 12. Everybody knew that. This girl, whom I committed myself to, died on Sept. 12."
