Dr. Phil Is Pulling the Plug on Himself

Dr. Phil McGraw’s 21-season run of leveraging guests’ problems for boffo ratings is coming to an end. The celebrity psychologist has decided not to produce any more new episodes after the current season, Variety reports. McGraw portrayed himself as an altruist 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.” He has, however, been long accused of exploiting the addicted and mentally ill for his own fame. The criticism hasn’t dissuaded 2 million viewers from making his show the second-highest rated in daytime.