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Popular long-time running talk show, Dr. Phil is coming to an end. The fan-favorite series, hosted by namesake Dr. Phil McGraw, will come to a close, completing 21 successful installments after its current 2022-2023 season.
The titular host is an American TV 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. As per a report by PEOPLE, the host ended his most recent contract with CBS Media Ventures, an organization he was signed under 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 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."
More details about Dr. Phil McGraw's life and career explored
Dr. Phil was born in Vinita, Oklahoma, in 1950 and grew up in Texas. He attended Shawnee Mission North High School in Overland Park, Kansas. The 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 Bachelors degree in psychology.
He graduated with a Masters in experimental psychology and a PhD in clinical psychology from the University of North Texas. After his graduation in 1979, the 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 the host when she hired his legal consulting firm to prepare her for her 1998 legal trial involving a group of Texas cattlemen for her comments about beef with respect to mad cow disease.
The host's appearance was so successful that he began his weekly stint on the talk show as a relationship and life strategy expert. He soon became a fan favorite that helped him launch his own show Dr. Phil under Winfrey's Harpo Studios in 2002. Over the past two decades, the host has appeared in over 4000 episodes, featuring more than 20,000 guests, according to PEOPLE.
In 2003, Dr. McGraw entered 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 to the host pulling his supplements from the market the following year.
He was also sued by people who used his products and found no benefits. The host settled the lawsuit in 2006 for over $10 billion.
Dr. Phil launched the spin-off series The Doctors in 2008 along with his son Jay McGraw. The show was hosted by American TV personality Travis Stork and focused on medical issues with a team of healthcare professionals answering viewers' questions. The show ran from 2002-2020.
The host has also authored a number of books, focused on relationships, heath tips and more, including Life Strategies, The 20/20 Diet, and Relationship Rescue.
Opening up about the host's exit and the show coming to an end, 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 declared that the host will soon be sharing details about a "strategic primetime partnership," slated for a 2024 launch. The host further said:
"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."
Although Dr. Phil has come to an end, the host will continue to focus on his current projects, including serving as an executive producer on CBS' So Help Me Todd, drama series Bull, and hosting his two podcasts, Phil in the Blanks and Mystery & Murder: Analysis by Dr. Phil.
