Dr. Phil TV Show

is tanking according to reports.

Dr. Phil often counsels his troubled guests to “get real.”

But this season the syndicated talk-show guru has gotten an unwelcome dose of reality himself, in the form of plummeting TV ratings.

National ratings for “Dr. Phil” have plunged 27% compared with last season, to an average of 4.5 million viewers, according to Nielsen Media Research.

That’s the worst performance by far of any major syndicated talk show this year.

Perhaps, the negative publicity surrounding Dr. Phil has finally taken its toll?