In a stunning announcement, Fox News said it has ended Tucker Carlson’s reign as the host of the network’s highest primetime rated show (and one of the highest-rated shows on basic cable, period), effective immediately.
The network announced Monday morning that the final episode of Tucker Carlson Tonight had already aired, but didn’t give a reason for the exit, saying only that the two parties “agreed to part ways.” The network will fill Carlson’s time slot with an interim show, Fox News Tonight, to be helmed by yet-to-be-named hosts.
The news comes less than a week after Fox’s massive settlement with Dominion over its spread of misinformation about Dominion voting machines, although Carlson’s role in the suit was relatively small. In the absence of an explanation for why exactly Carlson is departing so suddenly, there’s plenty of speculation that another, bigger scandal could be waiting in the wings for Carlson and Fox. Otherwise, it’s currently unclear what triggered the rift, what’s next for Carlson, or what Fox News looks like without Carlson at its center.
Here’s what we know so far.
What happened?
Tucker Carlson will no longer be a host or correspondent for Fox News. His show, Tucker Carlson Tonight, ran on the network for over six years. It’s unclear how long the show will be replaced by Fox News Tonight. While the circumstances are unclear, the departure seems to have been extremely sudden. Carlson also had a prominent place on Fox News’ streaming channel, Fox Nation, where he hosted a daytime talk show and several documentaries. Fox News’ statement did not specifically mention the future of his Fox Nation shows.
Carlson had been with Fox News since 2009, though his presence was relatively minor until the premiere of Tucker Carlson Tonight in November 2016.
When is his last day?
Carlson’s last episode aired Friday, April 21, 2023, according to Fox’s statement.
How sudden was his exit?
Carlson signed off on Friday…
Read the full article here
