10 Weird Rules “Patients” Need To Follow On Dr. Phil

The Dr. Phil talk show was launched in 2002 after host Dr. Phil McGraw rose to fame through guest appearances on the Oprah Winfrey Show in the 1990s. The show features both ordinary Americans and celebrities who are experiencing problems, with Dr. Phil using his doctorate in clinical psychology to help to solve their problems.

McGraw has been criticized for turning mental health issues into entertainment, and the way he deals with complex and difficult problems has not always been supported by medical experts. Like many talk shows, Dr. Phil has featured many controversial and outspoken guests, such as the “Cash me outside” teen who later launched a rap career on the back of her appearance on the show. Despite it’s reputation for wild moments, there are actually quite a few rules that guests have to follow.

10 Hand Over Your Cell Phone

Guests on the Dr. Phil show have to follow the rules if they want to appear on TV. Even members of the studio audience have to toe the line if they want a seat. Any member of the public entering the Dr. Phil studio has to hand over their cell phone before filming starts.

This not only ensures that the show isn’t interrupted by phone calls and text messages, but also prevents guests from taking photos and posting them online before their episode screens.

9 Have To Wait For Bathroom Breaks

Anyone attending the Dr. Phil show also has to be prepared to work with the filming timetable set by the producers. When the cameras are rolling, “patients” and audience members have to stay in place, which also means that they have to wait for a break in filming if they want to use the bathroom.

No exceptions will be made, especially for guests who are appearing in front of the cameras, as the team often film several episodes in one day and have to stick to a tight schedule.

8 Shows Can Take A Long Time To Film

When Dr. Phil is broadcast, the show lasts only an hour, but it can take a lot longer than that to film an episode. Sometimes Dr. Phil himself might want to reshoot part of the show, while sometimes guests might be asked to respond to questions and situations differently.

Filming starts very early in the morning, and audience members will need to get to the studio at the crack of dawn if they want to have a chance of sitting in the front row.

7 Disabled Guests Are Separated From Everyone Else

Unfortunately and inappropriately, guests who are confined to wheelchairs often have a very different experience on the Dr. Phil show.  Audience members with mobility issues have found themselves split up from their friends and family and seated in a separate area of the studio.

They have to stay there for the whole day, and this area just happens to have a terrible view of the stage. Also, Dr. Phil himself was accused of ableism for comments he made during an episode about relationships between disabled and non-disabled people.

6 Guests Don’t Get Freebies

Tickets for audience members may be free, but that is the end of the perks when it comes to the Dr. Phil show. Even so-called patients who are appearing in front of the camera only get their transport costs covered and a meal during the filming.

Sometimes guests may get sent to one of Dr. Phil’s special treatment centers for help, but this can be a double-edged sword, as many of these facilities have been investigated over the standards of care they provide.

5 Food Provided Is The Bare Minimum

Dr. Phil audience members can end up sitting in the studio for a long time while filming takes place; and while they are in the studio, there is no eating or drinking allowed.

Even chewing gum is forbidden. The team provides basic refreshments during the break between filming, but guests should really be prepared to bring their snacks. Guests can access backstage catering, but there have also been rumors that the team has provided some rather controversial items, including illegal substances for addicts appearing on the show.

4 Dr. Phil Doesn’t Do Autographs

Fans of Dr. Phil will often travel across the country to attend the filming of an episode of the talk show, and they are probably hoping that they will also get the chance to meet their hero while in the studio.

Sadly for them, Dr. Phil tends to keep himself to himself during filming, with a warm-up team responsible for getting the audience and guests ready for the show. Guests are even forbidden from bringing books by Dr. Phil into the studio, so they won’t be tempted to ask for an autograph.

3 The Show Can Veto Your Outfit

When audience members sign up for free tickets to attend a Dr. Phil taping, they are also given a list of rules to follow, including instructions about what to wear.

However, the show can veto an outfit if they think is unsuitable, and anyone who doesn’t follow the garment guidelines is likely to find themselves consigned to the back rows of the studio. It appears that guests on the show are not subject to the same rules; in fact, it seems that the producers sometimes like their guests to look as weird as possible.

2 And Make Sure To Dress Up

Audience members are expected to dress up for their visit to the Dr. Phil show. The instructions for guests say that they should arrive “camera-ready”, which means business attire and no jeans, no shorts, and no flip flops – which is the standard outfit for a tourist in Los Angeles!

The Dr. Phil team assesses the outfits of everyone arriving at the studios and those who are deemed to be wearing suitable clothing are given a yellow ticket, which gives them access to those prestigious front row seats.

1 Follow The Instructions

It might seem that there are a lot of guidelines to follow just for the taping of a daily talk show, but guests shouldn’t get the idea that they can break the rules without any consequences.

Audience members can be refused admission if they aren’t wearing the right clothes, and Dr. Phil himself has been known to end interviews and ask guests to leave if their behavior becomes unacceptable, as he did with one young woman who claimed to be in a psychic relationship with a woman she had never met.