The long-running popular talk show Dr. Phil is coming to an end. The fan-favorite series hosted by the namesake Dr. Phil McGraw will come to a close, completing 21 successful installments after the current 2022-2023 season.
The titular host is an American television personality, author and former psychologist who has a net worth of $460 million. He was a prominent figure when the daytime talk show premiered in September 2002. According to a report by PEOPLE, the host ended his most recent contract with CBS Media Ventures, an organization he was signed with for five years.
In an official statement to the publication, Dr. Phil McGraw said:
“I have been blessed with over 25 wonderful years in daytime television. With this show, we have helped thousands of guests and millions of viewers with everything from addiction and marriage to mental wellbeing and raising children. This has been an incredible chapter in the my life and career, but as I walk away from the day, there’s so much more I yearn to do.”
Further details on Dr. Phil McGraw’s life and career explored
Dr. Phil was born in Vinita, Oklahoma in 1950 and raised in Texas. He attended Shawnee Mission North High School in Overland Park, Kansas. Host enrolled at the University of Tulsa in 1968 on a football scholarship and later transferred to Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls, Texas where he earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology.
He graduated with an MA in experimental psychology and a PhD in clinical psychology from the University of North Texas. After graduating in 1979, Host worked as a private practitioner for several years before founding CSI Courtroom Sciences, Inc. in 1990.
Dr. Phil’s television career began with his regular appearances on The Oprah Winfrey Show in April 1998. Oprah was first introduced to host when he hired her legal consulting firm to prepare her for her legal process of 1998 involving a group of Texas ranchers for their comments on beef versus mad cow disease.
The guest appearance was so successful that he began his weekly stint on the talk show as an expert on relationships and life strategies. He soon became a fan favorite which helped him launch his own Dr. Phil show under Winfrey’s Harpo Studios in 2002. Over the past two decades, the host has appeared in over 4,000 episodes, with more than 20,000 guests, according to PEOPLE.
In 2003, Dr. McGraw got into the weight loss business and promoted his shakes, supplements and energy bars called “Shape It Up, Woo Woo” on the show. This received severe scrutiny from the Federal Trade Commission, leading Host to withdraw its supplements from the market the following year.
It has also been sued by people who have used its products and found no benefits. The host settled the lawsuit in 2006 for more than $10 billion.
Dr. Phil launched the spin-off series The Doctors in 2008 together with his son Jay McGraw. The show was hosted by American television personality Travis Stork and focused on medical issues with a team of healthcare professionals answering viewer questions. The show ran from 2002 to 2020.
Guest has also written a number of books, focusing on relationships, health advice, and more, including Life Strategies, The 20/20 Diet, and Relationship Rescue.
Speaking about the host’s exit and the end of the show, Steve LoCascio, president of CBS Media Ventures, said:
“Phil is a valued partner and member of the CBS/King World family, and while his show may be ending after 21 years, I’m happy to say our relationship is not.”
He continued:
“Phil changed the daytime landscape as the force behind one of the most popular talk shows ever on daytime TV. We plan to be in the Dr. Phil business with the library for years to come and welcome opportunities to work together in the future.”
The company also said the host would soon share details about a “strategic primetime partnership,” slated to launch in 2024. The host further said:
“I am compelled to reach out to a wider audience because I have grave concerns for the American family and am determined to help restore clarity of purpose and our core values.”
Even though Dr. Phil has come to an end, the host will continue to focus on his current projects, including executive producing CBS’ So Help Me Todd, the drama series Bull, and hosting his two podcasts, Phil in the Blanks and Murder and Mystery: Analysis by Dr. Phil.
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