Dr. Oz Struggles To Figure Out Next Move After Mainstream Media Turns Their Back On Ex-TV Doctor
Nov. 29 2022, Published 12:30 p.m. ET
Dr. Mehmet Oz is debating what to do next with his career now that the once renowned TV doctor lost his Senate election race to Democratic rival John Fetterman, RadarOnline.com has learned.
In a development to come after Oz lost to Fetterman by a whopping five percentage points, and after the 62-year-old heart surgeon ended his popular daytime talk program The Dr. Oz Show to focus on his now-finished Senate campaign, Oz is weighing his options of where to go next.
But while Oz reportedly has a number of potential options to take his career moving forward – including back to TV as either a talk show host or political pundit, throw his hat into the ring for another run for public office or restart his medical practice as a skilled heart surgeon – each of those options reportedly comes with a set of unique challenges for the struggling doctor-turned-politician.
According to The Wrap, who spoke to a series of different publicity experts and communications specialists, Oz could potentially return to TV if he is willing to drop his political persona in an effort to draw in more audience members.
“TV is still available to him,” said Eric Schiffer, the chairman and CEO of the reputation and management consultation firm Patriarch Equity. “This is someone who has built an audience.”
“If he wanted to go back to TV, and he was to be done with politics, he could cut the cord on his conservative path,” Schiffer continued. “In fact, he would be advised to do that because he’s going to want the widest audience. Why cut off 50% of your audience?”
Dr. Oz unsuccessfully ran for U.S. Senate in 2022.
Nathan Miller, the founder and CEO of a communications strategy agency that centers on business, suggested Oz could return to TV by focusing on his “past brand” as a heart surgeon and trained medical expert.
“He would need to double down on his past brand,” Miller said. “Figuring out what he has to say that’s relevant to people right now to people who may not agree with him politically, but might be interested in what he has to say about those range of different [health and medical] issues.”
Oz also reportedly has the option to “lean into” his new brand as a conservative political figure who previously had the endorsement of former President Donald Trump. Oz could pursue this as either a talk radio or podcast host – although that option may not be welcomed by the “right-wing media community” following his loss to Fetterman earlier this month.
“The last thing that conservatives want to hear right now is Dr. Oz giving political advice,” said Fox News contributor Joe Concha. “I think there is some resentment that he lost such a winnable race.”
Dr. Oz shot to fame in 2009 when Oprah and her production company helped launch his own daytime series.
“He should have beat [Fetterman] by free touchdowns,” Concha added. “I’m not sure a lot of people want to be hearing from Dr. Oz after losing what would have been — if he won that, Republicans could have taken over the Senate.”
As RadarOnline.com previously reported, Oz’s options should he return to mainstream TV are also few and far between following his decision to run in, and subsequent failure to secure, Pennsylvania’s midterm Senate race.
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“No one in the mainstream will touch him,” one insider told RadarOnline.com regarding "toxic" Oz’s possible return to TV months before his Senate bid failed.
“When things were looking grim early on in the Senate race, Oz’s camp quietly sounded out some television executives about what a career might look like if he were to lose,” another source said. “They were told, ‘Fuhgeddaboudit!’"
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