Dr. Phil’s talk show is officially ending following the 2022-2023 season after 21 years on the air.
The daytime talk show host Phil McGraw signed a five-year contract with CBS Media Ventures in 2018 and won’t be re-signing, as People reported.
“I have been blessed with over 25 wonderful years in daytime television,” McGraw said in a statement.
“With this show, we have helped thousands of guests and millions of viewers through everything from addiction and marriage to mental wellness and raising children. This has been an incredible chapter of my life and career, but while I’m moving on from daytime, there is so much more I wish to do.”
“I am compelled to engage with a broader audience because I have grave concerns for the American family, and I am determined to help restore a clarity of purpose as well as our core values,” he continued.
Stepping back doesn’t mean leaving television for the 72-year-old host, however. CBS confirmed that McGraw would be part of a “strategic primetime partnership” that aims to help him “increase his impact on television and viewers.”
More details of that project, which is expected to be released in 2024, are forthcoming.
McGraw rose to popularity in the 90s after multiple appearances on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” as a featured expert. He went on to launch his own talk show in 2002, which became a daytime staple. The publication noted that Dr. Phil has hosted almost 4,000 episodes featuring 20,000 guests after more than two decades on the air.
President of CBS Media Ventures Steve LoCascio reacted to the show ending by saying, “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.”
“Phil changed the daytime landscape as the force behind one of the most popular talk shows ever on daytime TV,” he continued. “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.”
Several other daytime television mainstays have also announced cancellations recently, including “The Wendy Williams Show,” “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” “Dr. Oz,” and “The Real.”