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Steve Harvey's talk show canceled, and 'Little Big Shots' hosting gig goes to Melissa McCarthy

LOS ANGELES — This is not a week Steve Harvey will probably want to remember. Not only did his talk show get canceled but he also lost his hosting gig on NBC's "Little Big Shots" to comedian Melissa McCarthy.

According to Variety, Harvey taped his final original episode of "Steve" Thursday in Los Angeles. New episodes of his daytime talk show will air through June and reruns will air through September. NBC-owned stations will replace Harvey with Kelly Clarkson's new talk show this fall. Clarkson filmed a pilot for her show last year.

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Harvey joined the syndicated talk show circuit in 2012 with " Steve Harvey" produced out of Chicago. "Steve Harvey" was ended in 2017 when Harvey decided to launch a new talk show, "Steve." The more celebrity-driven show moved Harvey to Los Angeles and was produced with IMG, which offered Harvey more creative and financial control. The show averaged about 1.8 million viewers per episode this past season, fifth among syndicated talk shows, behind "Dr. Phil," "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," "Live with Kelly and Ryan" and "Maury."

NBCUniversal, which lost ownership control of the show in 2017, developed the Clarkson show as a replacement. IMG tried to get the show back on time slots in major markets it lost, but couldn't make it work. 

Harvey may pursue digital options such as Facebook to air his comedic and topical bits, Variety reported.

On Sunday,

that Harvey had lost his “Little Big Shots” hosting gig on NBC to McCarthy. The variety show features talented children performances and banter with the host.

Steve Harvey has been replaced by Melissa McCarthy as host of "Little Big Shots" on NBC.

“Melissa’s just an incredible performer and incredible comedian,” NBC co chairman of entertainment Paul Telegdy

. “She will bring a completely fresh perspective to it.”

"Melissa is a strong creative force with her own ideas," Telegdy added, according to People. "Changes will be apparent."

Harvey won’t be in the unemployment line any time soon, however. He has been hosting “Family Feud” for nearly a decade. He also hosts the Miss USA pageant and Fox’s New Year’s special, along with “Showtime at the Apollo” and the celebrity version of “Family Feud.” He also hosts a syndicated radio show every morning.