Dr. Phil is coming to an end.
The long-running daytime talk show, hosted by Dr. Phil McGraw, will wrap after its current 2022-23 season, its 21st.
McGraw is ending his time with the show after signing his most recent contract with CBS Media Ventures, which was good for five years, in 2018. The syndication company is expected to give networks the option to run previously-taped episodes for the forthcoming 2023-24 season.
"I have been blessed with over 25 wonderful years in daytime television," McGraw said in a statement sent to PEOPLE. "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."
CBS Media Ventures said that McGraw will soon share details on a "strategic primetime partnership" that will help him "increase his impact on television and viewers."
The project is expected to launch next year.
Concluded McGraw: "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."
The move comes as McGraw has been focused on producing scripted projects and hosting two podcasts, Phil in the Blanks and Mystery & Murder: Analysis by Dr. Phil, CBS insiders told Variety.
McGraw's television career took off when he appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show several times as an expert in the 1990s. His own show was launched in late 2002. He has hosted nearly 4,000 episodes that featured 20,000 guests and received letters from 5 million viewers.
An average of 2 million people still tune in to each episode of Dr. Phil, putting it at the second highest-rated talk show. Live with Kelly and Ryan is currently No. 1, according to Variety.
Steve LoCascio, president of CBS Media Ventures, said in a statement of McGraw's decision: "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 added, "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."
McGraw's exit comes amid the ending of other daytime talk shows like The Wendy Williams Show, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Dr. Oz, and The Real.
