After eight seasons on the airwaves, the hit daytime talk show The Real is coming to a close.
The show, which aired in syndication on Fox-affiliated networks in major broadcast areas, was unique in its younger-leaning format which featured perspectives from multicultural women. The show’s original lineup of hosts included actress Tamera Mowry-Housley, comedienne Loni Love, singer/reality star Tamar Braxton, and stylist/host Jeannie Mai. Over the show’s seasons, singer/reality star Adrienne Bailon, actress/comedian/social commentator Amanda Seales, and actress/reality star Garcelle Beauvais also joined the cast with unique perspectives on hot topics and issues facing millennial women.
During its tenure, the daytime talk show experienced several formatting and casting shakeups. Original co-host Braxton left the show in 2016 to focus on her solo singing career, and Mowry-Housely left in 2020 feeling that a talk show was not a safe environment for her at the time. Seales joined during season 6 in 2020, quickly exiting a few months later upon feeling the show was not a fit, and Beauvais joined in 2020 and remained there throughout the remainder of its time on air.
Despite its multiple switch-ups, the show series won a total of three Daytime Emmy Awards and two NAACP Image Awards during its time on air.
Co-host Loni Love reacted to the news via social media, stating that the”cast and crew did everything we could,” to keep the show afloat. However, she thinks the cost of production through COVID-19 pandemic ultimately killed the show.
Per Variety, The Real is produced by Telepictures and distributed by Warner Bros., and ended up becoming their longest-running daytime syndicated talk show behind Ellen and Jenny Jones.
There is not yet word on when the show’s final episode will air.