Judge Judy Has a New Reason to Smile

She's the highest-paid TV host for first time
By Arden Dier,  Newser Staff
Posted Nov 27, 2018 8:41 AM CST
Judge Judy Has a New Reason to Smile
Judge Judy Sheindlin is seen in New York in 2012.   (AP Photo/Evan Agostini, file)

It took 23 years, but Judith Sheindlin is officially the highest-paid host on TV, knocking Ellen DeGeneres into second place. The Judge Judy host sold the rights to past and future episodes to CBS for an estimated $100 million last year. Combined with salaries for hosting the show and producing Hot Bench, Sheindlin brought in $147 million in pretax earnings from June 1, 2017, to June 1, 2018, to earn the top spot for the first time, per Forbes. The list:

  1. Judith Sheindlin: $147 million; Judge Judy
  2. Ellen DeGeneres: $87.5 million; The Ellen DeGeneres Show
  3. Phil McGraw: $77.5 million; Dr. Phil
  4. Ryan Seacrest: $74 million; Live with Kelly and Ryan, American Idol
  5. Steve Harvey: $44 million; Family Feud, Steve
(One of last year's highest-paid hosts just lost her show.)

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