In an exclusive interview with Closer Weekly, Dr. Phil reveals that he has no plans to retire anytime soon, if ever!

When asked about his plans for retirement he told Closer, “I have great respect for those who have earned it, but right now, I cannot imagine it. I don’t see it in my future.”

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Dr. Phil in 2007.

He says he is more motivated than ever to help others. “I feel like I’m doing a good day’s work when there’s at least an hour a day when they can sit down and get some good common sense and information that they can use,” he tells Closer.

By crusading against bullying, obesity and domestic violence, Dr. Phil has helped millions of people on his long-running talk show, and he tells Closer that Oprah Winfrey is to thank.

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“The way I got into all of this television business was, I was a litigation consultant working with Oprah on the famous [mid-1990s] mad cow disease case in Amarillo, Texas,” Dr. Phil explains to Closer. “She was getting sued for [millions of] dollars, and it really began to wear on her. We had a lot of talks at two or three in the morning for a couple of months.”

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Dr. Phil and Oprah in 2002.

“She introduced me to America, and said, ‘I want you to meet the man that gave me back to myself, because I lost myself.’ She’s repeated that to me many times since then, and I was very flattered,” Dr. Phil tells Closer, adding that he and Oprah still talk on a regular basis.

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In addition to his work in TV, Dr. Phil — who was diagnosed with diabetes 25 years ago — is now working with the On It Movement, an awareness campaign that seeks to empower adults living with type 2 diabetes to make a personal commitment to living a healthier life.

For the full interview with Dr. Phil, pick up the latest issue of Closer Weekly, on newsstands now!

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