The Real aired its final episode today after a successful run of eight seasons and 1,360 episodes on the air. Deadline reports that the pre-taped show did not feature a live audience, and co-host Loni Love chose to appear remotely since co-host Jeannie Mai had only just recovered from Covid-19. The episode featured no guests, opting simply to have the ladies reminisce about some of the highlights from the show. Such highlights included co-hosting Adrienne Houghton’s wedding, Love’s surprise meeting with Idris Alba, and the ladies interviewing Michelle Obama. The Real’s final episode comes just eight days after The Ellen Degeneres Show ended, after 19 seasons.
Final Episode of The Real Celebrates Making a Mark
The Real began with a trial run in the summer of 2013, and it was picked up for full syndication in 2014. Love, Mai, and Houghton were among the original hosts, along with Tamera Mowrey-Housley and Tamar Braxton. Braxton was controversially fired in 2016, and Mowry exited the show in 2020. Amanda Seales was briefly a co-host, and Garcelle Beauvais joined as a co-host in 2020 for the final two seasons.
During the show, Houghton commented on how the show made a mark and “broke the mold” of daytime television. All the hosts have been from minority races, and as Houghton put it, “There was never a show that looked like us.” Love added that the show was meant to put people on daytime talk who normally wouldn’t be there. “All the Tyler Perry movie people,” Love said. “We’ve had the Oprah people. We had Laurence Fishburne! We were able to talk about things that some people just ignore. When you look back at eight seasons, over 1,300 episodes, it’s phenomenal. It’s historic.”
The Real Ends Along With Other Talk Shows
The Real and The Ellen DeGeneres Show aren’t the only talk shows we’ve said goodbye to. The Wendy Williams Show is ending later this month, and Maury is coming to an end due to Maury Povich choosing to retire.
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