Photo credit: Instagram/iamsteveharveytv
Steve Harvey has offered a new account of the events that ended his NBC talk show and his run on Little Big Shots in 2019.
Harvey discussed the episode with his daughter Brandi on her podcast. He said the turning point came years earlier, when NBC passed on Celebrity Family Feud. ABC later picked up the show and continued with Harvey as host.
Harvey said NBC later wanted him to move Celebrity Family Feud from ABC to NBC after the program found success. He declined because he felt ABC had supported the show when NBC had passed on it. His account places former NBC entertainment chairman Paul Telegdy at the center of what followed.
Harvey believes that decision changed his relationship with the network.
What happened to Harvey’s NBC shows
The changes arrived in May 2019.
NBC ended Harvey’s daytime talk show, Steve, after seven seasons. Days later, the network announced that Melissa McCarthy would replace him as host of Little Big Shots. McCarthy took over after Harvey hosted the series for its first three seasons.
At the time, NBC described McCarthy as a fresh creative choice for the series. The network did not publicly connect Harvey’s departure from the two programs to the dispute he now describes.
That distinction matters. Harvey’s recent explanation is his own account of the events. It has not been independently established that his refusal to move Celebrity Family Feud caused the two NBC changes.
Harvey turned the setback into a new path
Harvey later moved further toward projects where he had greater creative control.
That path included Judge Steve Harvey, an ABC courtroom comedy series that premiered in 2022. Harvey has said the show gave him a stronger ownership position and produced more income than his previous NBC programs combined. Those financial claims come from Harvey and have not been independently detailed in the reporting reviewed for this story.
Meanwhile, Celebrity Family Feud remained with ABC. The network continues to list Harvey as its host, showing how the decision he describes in his recent interview became part of a much longer television career.
Why ownership matters to Harvey
Harvey’s latest comments put more attention on a theme he has discussed for years. He has increasingly focused on owning the ideas and businesses behind his entertainment work.
His experience with NBC appears to have strengthened that approach. Instead of relying only on network jobs, Harvey expanded his own production company and broader media business. His official site identifies East One Twelve as his in-house production company and lists several projects connected to his television career.
His latest account does not change the public record of what happened in 2019. It does, however, add Harvey’s perspective to a chapter of his career that had remained largely unexplained by him until now.
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