Media: ABC "Spits Out" The Chew

ABC via Getty Images

The next season of The Chew will be its last. ABC confirmed today that it’s canceling the celebrity chef-hosted daytime talk show, Deadline reports.

The Emmy Award-winning program is presently hosted by chefs Michael Symon, Carla Hall, fashion consultant Clinton Kelly, and, until recently, chef Mario Batali. Batali was suspended and ultimately fired from the show in December amid widespread reports of the chef’s alleged sexual misconductthat spanned two decades. (In a segment that acknowledged Batali’s suspension, Symon, Hall, and Kelly released a group statement saying “Our commitment to our viewers remains the same — to deliver the entertaining show that you’ve come to expect.”) Batali is currently the subject of a criminal investigation led by the New York Police Department into the misconduct allegations lodged by several employees who worked at the Spotted Pig.

Just last week, co-host Carla Hall addressed the vacant co-host slot left by Batali, stating that The Chew had no plans to replace him, and that the remaining hosts had “become closer” since the incident.

A representative for ABC called the cancellation a “business decision.” Recent ratings suggest that despite the chef’s firing, he continued to have a negative impact on The Chew’s viewership. During the most recent season, the number of women viewers ages 18-49 plummeted by 17 percent, making it the least-watched season since the talk show first aired in 2011, according to Page Six.

Daphne Oz, one of the original co-hosts on the show and daughter of dubious TV health personality Dr. Oz , departed last August. Producers also elected not to refill her seat on the show.

The Chew will continue to air new episodes from June through September. After that, Good Morning America will be expanded to three hours to fill its current time slot.