Days after ruling on a defamation lawsuit, one of the highest rated US TV hosts, Tucker Carlson, is set to leave Fox News.
In a statement issued Monday, Fox News said that the network and Carlson have agreed to “part ways”.
His last TV programme was last Friday 21 April, the statement added. His primetime slot will now be hosted by a series of interim hosts until a permanent replacement is found.
The brief two paragraph statement gave no reason for the decision.
On air, a Fox News anchor announced the departure with a tribute that thanked him “for his service to the network”.
Carlson was not just a popular presenter, but also a historically influential one. His shows frequently set the agenda for conservatives and, by extension, the Republican Party.
His programme made up four of the top ten rated programmes on US cable TV, according to Nielson data for the week 27 March to 2 April.
He was Fox News’ top rated host, with over three million viewers tuning in on an average night.
His recent interview with former-President Donald Trump netted seven million viewers, unheard of in the world of US cable news.
The announcement comes just days after Fox News settled a defamation lawsuit from the voting machine company Dominion over its coverage of the 2020 presidential election.
In the lawsuit, Dominion argued that its business was harmed by Fox spreading false claims its machines were rigged against Trump.
The case prompted disclosures of text messages that showed Carlson’s private views contrasted with his on-air output.
His show, which aired in the coveted 20:00 to 21:00 EST slot, was cited repeatedly in court documents by Dominion’s attorneys in their claim some of its output was defamatory.
Additionally, Fox News is also facing a lawsuit filed in March by former booker Abby Grossberg in which she accused him of “vile sexist stereotypes”. Fox News has counter-sued and said it would “vigorously defend these claims”.
Carlson’s latest interview with Trump came two weeks ago, despite disclosures in the Dominion case showing he had privately said he “hated” the ex-president.
He also interviewed Twitter CEO Elon Musk during what would become his final week on Fox News. BBC
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