Jon Gosselin road-tests new lover as ratings implode

The fact their show’s ratings are now in unbounded free-fall is bad news for Jon and Kate Gosselin…but we we have an even better dish about the ex-pair…

After a six-week layover, their new season bowed Monday — and scored an audience so small they could fit in a phone booth! Just 3.9-million viewers watched this week’s shows, compared to over ten-million who saw them break-up.

In the show, Kate, 34, was seen introducing the offspring to life under canvas. And while Mommy’s away it seems Dad’s been road-testing a new, sleeker model — He’s been spending long nights with the new babysitter!

The lady in question, Stephanie Santoro, 23, is a part-time cocktail waitress whom Kate hired to watch all their kids. She works at ‘Legends,’ in Reading, PA., which – by sheer coincidence, of course – is Jon’s favorite nightspot. He was there Saturday night, and Steph shared his table for most of the night.

The club closed at 2am – but the pair didn’t leave for at least one more hour.  They then scurried over to the former Gosselin home in Wernersville, where Steph spent the night in Jon’s bachelor pad. She tried to sneak out at 7.15am — in the same clothes – but Jon pulled her back from the door, and they left the home later in separate cars.

And Steph’s not Jon’s only romance — Remember Hailey Glassman and Kate Major? Well, Jon’s made it clear to both girls that he’s dating them, too!

The man’s saying nothing, of course, and Stephanie’s now urgently trying to deny the affair — despite hundreds of photos that serve as hard proof. She’s been watching their children for several weeks, and even brought her own 2-year old to stay at the house…but nothing’s occurring – We believe that, of course?? Okay, maybe not…