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Dr. Phil, the US talk show that saw Dr. Phil McGraw give life advice to individuals and became a daytime television regular around the world, is coming to an end at the end of this year after 21 seasons.

Hosted by McGraw since 2002, the show has seen him counsel guests struggling with problems, often dealing with their money, weight, family, addictions and marriage.

“I have been blessed with over 25 wonderful years in daytime television,” McGraw said in a statement. “Through this show, we’ve helped thousands of guests and millions of viewers with everything from addiction and marriage to mental health and raising children. This is an incredible chapter in my life and career, but as I move forward from day to day, there’s so much more I want to do.

CBS sources told Variety that McGraw called to end production on the show, which airs five days a week in the US.

McGraw, 72, first became known in the 1990s after appearing as a guest speaker on Oprah Winfrey’s talk shows and soon became famous for his public and straight-shooting advice. Dr. Phil was originally produced by Winfrey Harpo Productions.

While McGraw earned a doctorate in clinical psychology, he stopped renewing his license to practice in 2006.

The show’s use of psychology as entertainment has often been controversial, with some criticizing its treatment of mentally ill and vulnerable guests. In the year In 2004, when McGraw compared a nine-year-old boy to a serial killer, the National Alliance on Mental Illness told CBS’s “Dr. Phil’s conduct is sufficient to warrant an investigation by the appropriate licensing board. A spokesman for McGraw said the letter was “based on a lack of information and inaccurate, inappropriate assumptions.”

In the year In 2008, McGraw was criticized by Britney Spears’ family and mental health professionals for visiting the singer while she was hospitalized for mental illness while trying to make a show about her mental health condition. The special is finally closed.

In the year In 2016, McGraw was criticized for his approach in an interview with former actress Shelley Duvall, who had previously starred in director Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining. Kubrick’s daughter, Vivian Kubrick, described McGraw’s treatment of Duvall as “exploitative” and “horribly brutal.” A spokesman for the show declined to comment.

In the year In 2022, a group of current and former employees on Dr. Phil filed a lawsuit alleging that they “experienced verbal abuse that promotes fear, intimidation and racism in the workplace” and that the show’s guests were often taken advantage of and mistreated. Lawyers for McGraw and co-producer Carla Pennington, who has not been accused of abusing the show’s employees, have denied all allegations, while other employees have described the work culture as positive.

Dr. Phil continues to rank among the top-rated daytime shows in America, drawing 2 million viewers a day.

CBS will continue to profit from the show, simulating old episodes.

“Phil is the force behind one of the most popular talk shows that has changed the landscape of daytime,” CBS Media Ventures president Steve Locascio said Tuesday evening.

“We plan to be with the library in Dr. Phil’s business for years to come and welcome opportunities to work together in the future.”

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