Dr Phil has revealed the real reason behind why he quit his popular television show, with the talk show icon explaining that he has done everything that he "set out to do".
The show, which was created by Oprah Winfrey and host Phil McGraw and debuted in the fall of 2002, came to an end last month on May 25, leaving longtime viewers and fans devastated.
And now the beloved host of over 21 years Dr Phil has spoken out about the iconic talk show and why he decided to end the incredibly successful programme.
Appearing on Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace?, Dr. Phil sat down with CNN Anchor Chris Wallace to discuss the impact of social media on mental health and why he ended the chat show.
"So you are endi.ng your show this spring after 21 years on the air. And over all that time you have either been the number one or the number two most watched show in daytime syndicated talk shows. So why stop now?" Chris asked Dr. Phil.
Replying candidly, the 72-year-old psychologist said: "Well, you know, 21 years is a long time. And I've done the things that I've set out to do."
Speaking about why he wanted to star the show in the first place, Dr. Phil told the host he wanted to "talk about things that matter to people who care" and "talk about the silent epidemics".
He also spoke of how he wanted his show to "talk about the things that had such a stigma about them that you just didn't talk about them", adding: "And I really wanted to push mental illness to the forefront of the narrative in America."
CNN's Chris then said that Dr Phil read studies that say anxiety, stress, depression are bigger problems than ever, that teenage girls more than ever feel thoughts of suicide of wanting to hurt themselves, adding: "What's going on?"
Dr Phil then replied: "Well, you know, everybody thinks that the pandemic is perhaps behind this. But that trend really started back in 09, 10. it's like a big freighter flew over the United States and dropped smartphones on everybody.
"And young people started watching people live their lives, instead of living their own lives. And those lives they were watching, were fantasies, and we compare our reality to other people's fantasy. And by comparison, we come away feeling worse about ourselves."
The iconic show saw Dr Phil set out "life strategies" for his guests, which came from his life experience as a clinical and forensic psychologist.
Some of his most famous guests include Danielle “Cash Me Outside” Bregoli, Ukrainian orphan Natalia Grace, and Haley, a teen who claimed she was pregnant with Jesus Christ and that her father was rapper Eminem.
New episodes of Chris' show are available Friday mornings on Max, and Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace? airs Fridays at 10pm ET/PT on CNN.
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