Dr Phil to finally end after 21 seasons on air
Talk show has long been criticised for a perceived exploitativeness
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Your support makes all the difference.Dr Phil, the US advice talk show fronted by Dr Phil McGraw, will end later this year after 21 seasons on air.
The series, which currently airs on CBS, has been running since 2002, releasing five episodes each week.
Dr Phil sees McGraw – a former practicing psychologist whose lisence expired in 2006 – offer advice to guests on a range of personal issues.
“I have been blessed with over 25 wonderful years in daytime television,” the presenter 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.”
According to Variety, the decision to end the show’s run was made by McGraw himself, rather than the network.
The series remains one of the highest-rated daytime shows in the US in terms of viewership, attracting around two million viewers per day.
Over the years, Dr Phil faced criticism from some viewers and advocacy groups over an alleged exploitativeness to some of the show’s subject matter.
A 2008 episode about Britney Spears never made it to air after Spears’ family, and other mental health experts, criticised the presenter’s approach.
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In 2016, McGraw was strongly criticised for an interview with The Shining star Shelley Duvall, in which the actor discussed her mental health struggles over the years.
During the early days of the Covid pandemic, McGraw was also criticised for espousing an anti-lockdown viewpoint and sharing inaccurate statistics.
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