According to a piece published on STAT News, The Dr. Phil Show has come under fire for reportedly administering illicit drugs and alcohol to guests suffering from addiction in order to boost ratings. These allegations come from former Survivor: China contestant Todd Herzog, who was a guest on Dr. Phil's show in 2013 to detail his experiences with alcoholism.
Herzog's account notes how he was initially flown to Los Angeles to appear on a segment on The Dr. Phil Show, where he recounts that he was checked into a hotel for a two day detox. However, he was then transported to the studios where the show is regularly filmed and found a bottle of vodka in the green room. Herzog proceeded to drink the entire litre of alcohol before he was offered a Xanax by a producer in a bid to "calm his nerves" before facing a live studio audience. Herzog was reportedly so drunk that he needed to be carried to his chair in order to partake in the interview.
Herzog appeared on the show a total of four times, and reveals how his first three visits were manipulated by crew members to worsen his condition for the general public. Herzog explains how he returned to the show a fourth time in order to take advantage of the free treatment being offered to him, and has since become sober.
Other guests also voiced similar experiences with coercion on set, as one unidentified woman claims that she was told to purchase heroin for her detoxing niece.
Uproxx notes that executives on The Dr. Phil Show have since denied these claims as untrue.
Check out a video of one of Herzog's appearances on the show below: