Daytime talk show host Maury Povich is retiring after a 31-year career in television, with his last episode of “Maury” slated to end in September, NBC Universal announced Monday.
“Even though I told them I was ready for assisted living, out of loyalty to NBCUniversal and my more than 100 staff and crew members, Tracie Wilson and I agreed to one more deal,” Povich said, according to CNN. “I’m proud of my relationship with NBC Universal and all those who worked on the “Maury” show, but as I occasionally tell my guests on ‘Maury,’ enough already,”
Povich had wanted to retire six years ago but accepted the studio’s plea to continue the show, CNN reported. He is the longest-running daytime talk show host in history.
The show, in its 24th season with NBCUniversal, is known for confirming paternity tests, relationship infidelities and teen pregnancies, NPR reported. His show first launched in 1991 and was titled “The Maury Povich Show,” before shortening the title in 1998.
It’s the end of an era. Maury Povich’s drama-filled daytime talk show is ending after 31 seasons, according to multiple reports. The final new episodes of “Maury” will air in September 2022. pic.twitter.com/80QqLpE3PP
— PIX11 News (@PIX11News) March 21, 2022
“Maury and I decided two years ago that this season would be a farewell season for the show, and while his retirement is bittersweet, we are so happy for him to be able to spend more time on the golf course,” Tracie Wilson, executive vice president for NBC Universal Syndication Studios, said according to CNN. “Maury is a television icon, a pop culture legend and we couldn’t be more proud to be part of his incredible career.”
The host was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Talk Show Entertainment in 2017 but lost to the Ellen DeGeneres Show, NPR reported. (RELATED: Maury Wants To Tell Rachel Dolezal Who Her Daddy Really Is)
He first began his career as a radio reporter in Washington, D.C., before becoming a co-anchor at the CBS affiliate Los Angeles. He then became the host of “A Current Affair” from 1986 until 1990.