Top 10 most disgraced people in US daytime TV

Top 10 Most Disgraced People in US Daytime TV Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the most shocking falls from grace experienced by personalities on US daytime TV shows that were caused by scandals.

#10: T. J. Holmes & Amy Robach

In 2020, Holmes joined “GMA3,” becoming a co-anchor alongside Robach. However, instead of this pairing being a stepping stone in their ABC careers, it became the end. In 2022, reports emerged that Holmes and Robach were having an affair, despite both being married to other people. After the duo was taken off air for ABC to investigate the allegations, they were both fired in 2023. Shortly after, there was an accusation that Holmes had a previous affair with another ABC employee. Following time away from the limelight, Holmes and Robach created a podcast and later got engaged. Interestingly, Robach's ex-husband, Andrew Shue, and Holmes’s ex-wife, Marilee Fiebig, began dating each other and are reportedly considering marriage.

#9: Craig Carton

Best known for his sports radio work and being one-half of “Boomer and Carton,” which was later simulcast, Carton’s reputation and career took a severe hit in 2017. At the time, he, along with others, was accused of operating a multi-million-dollar fake ticket scam. As such, Carton resigned from the radio station WFAN. In 2018, after being charged with several counts, including securities fraud, Carton was convicted of defrauding investors of around $4.8 million. Judge Colleen McMahon, who oversaw the case, compared the radio personality to notorious Ponzi scheme operator Bernie Madoff. In 2019, Carton began his three-and-a-half-year sentence in jail and was ordered to pay millions in restitution. He was released in 2020

#8: Sharon Osbourne

After creating a reputation in reality shows and as a judge on talent series, Osbourne's blunt approach seemed like a good fit when she joined “The Talk” as a panelist in 2011. While there were some scandals, she managed to survive them…until 2021. Following Piers Morgan’s controversial remarks about Meghan Markle, Osbourne, who’s a friend of his, defended the broadcaster on “The Talk.” This led to a clash with Sheryl Underwood, who accused Osbourne of validating Morgan’s racially charged comments. Following this, former “The Talk” co-hosts, Leah Remini and Holly Robinson Peete, went public with allegations about Osbourne making racist and other problematic comments about colleagues. After an investigation, Osboure was fired. While she apologized to Underwood, Osbourne later rescinded it.

#7: Sylvia Browne

Despite having a conviction for security fraud in 1992, Browne would go on to appear on programs such as “The Montel Williams Show” and “Larry King Live” as a self-proclaimed medium and psychic. During these, she would make predictions about true crime cases happening at the time. However, a 2010 study by Ryan Shaffer and Agatha Jadwiszczok found that Browne had been mostly incorrect with every one of her claims. This included stating that Opal Jo Jennings had been taken into slavery in Japan, when an examination found she’d been murdered within hours of her kidnapping. Another infamous moment involved Browne telling Amanda Berry’s mother that her daughter had been killed, who died believing this. However, Berry was found alive in 2013.

#6: Paula Deen

After founding a restaurant empire based on her Southern cooking, Deen would strike up a relationship with the Food Network, earning her several of her own shows, including “Paula's Home Cooking” and “Paula's Party.” In 2013, after settling a lawsuit from Lisa Jackson for discrimination, it was Deen’s deposition that grabbed everyone’s attention. During it, the TV chef admitted to using racial slurs multiple times. As the backlash mounted, the Food Network fired Deen, and many endorsement deals fell through. Following the scandal, Deen appeared on “Today.” After denying she was racist, she also claimed she shouldn’t have been fired for the scandal. Following another racism scandal in 2015, Deen’s TV career hasn’t recovered to the respect she once enjoyed.

#5: Dr. Mehmet Oz

With a background in cardiothoracic surgery, Oz rose to fame as the health expert on “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” eventually getting his own series, “The Dr. Oz Show.” However, he was soon drawn into a scandal as medical experts accused him of promoting misinformation and pseudoscience, even calling for his termination as a professor at Columbia University. Some of the accusations levied at Oz include promoting weight loss products, which led to him being admonished at a 2014 Senate hearing, and suggesting hydroxychloroquine as a COVID-19 cure while reportedly being an investor in companies that produce the medicine. Following his transition into politics, Oz faced further scrutiny after seemingly supporting controversial medical advice from the government.

#4: Phil McGraw

After getting his start on “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” McGraw was handed his own show in 2002 with “Dr. Phil.” While the program was accused of being exploitative and criticised for its "tough love" approach, it was in 2021 when the biggest tarnish on McGraw’s reputation began. To begin with, two former guests on “Dr. Phil,” Hannah Archuleta and Danielle “Bhad Bhabie” Bregoli, accused the Turn-About Ranch, a treatment centre promoted by McGraw on his show, of having staff who abused them. In 2022, reports emerged from former and current employees of “Dr. Phil” who accused the show of treating guests unethically and festering a toxic work culture, which McGraw denied. A year after all the scandals, “Dr. Phil” ended in 2023.

#3: Megyn Kelly

In 2017, Kelly joined NBC, reportedly signing a contract worth up to $20 million per year and getting her own talk show, “Megyn Kelly Today.” Yet all of that came crashing down in 2018. During a segment, Kelly led a discussion about the use of blackface for Halloween after Luann de Lesseps drew criticism for doing so when dressing up as Diane Ross. With an all-White panel, Kelly seemingly defended the practice and de Lesseps, stating that she did the same when she was a kid, and that it was okay to do blackface when portraying a character. After backlash from viewers, “Megyn Kelly Today” was cancelled by NBC. Kelly stayed at the network for a couple more months before departing in early 2019.

#2: Ellen DeGeneres

When watching “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” during its 19-year tenure, it looks like such an open and happy place to work. However, that perception was destroyed in 2020 when BuzzFeed reported on allegations that the production fostered a toxic work environment. Employees claimed they were subjected to harassment from executive producers, including receiving racist comments and being fired if attempting to take medical or bereavement leave. As an internal investigation began, DeGeneres apologized to those affected. While three producers were dismissed, the damage to DeGeneres’s and the show’s reputations was done. After losing a million viewers, the show ended in 2022. DeGeneres didn’t help her image when she joked in her stand-up about being banned from the industry for being “mean” in 2024.

#1: Matt Lauer

After a 20-year stint as one of the hosts on “Today” and presenting the opening and closing ceremonies for several Olympic Games, Lauer was one of the most recognizable and respected broadcasters in the US. However, in 2017, he was suddenly fired by NBC. The network had acted following an investigation after an employee had come forward with allegations that Lauer had assaulted and harassed her after the duo covered the 2014 Winter Olympics. Lauer would later deny the accusations, instead claiming the relationship was consensual. Regardless, multiple other women came forward with similar accusations against the broadcaster, who faded into obscurity in the aftermath. Lauer’s wife, Annette Roque, soon separated from him, with the divorce being finalized in 2019. Which US TV personality’s fall from grace shocked you the most? Let us know below.