NBC News has reported that Tucker Carlson (Swing Vote, The King of Queens) is parting ways with Fox News. This means the end of his talk show, Tucker Carlson Tonight. Fox News announced Carlson’s departure on Monday, days after the network agreed to pay Dominion Voting Systems $800 million to avoid a defamation trial.
Carlson is the networks most popular prime-time anchor. He is known for culture-war provocations and conspiratorial rhetoric and is a leading voice in the conservative party.
Fox News reported in their press statement that Carlson’s final program was Friday, April 21st. The broadcast gave no indication of being the last one, with Carlson stating “We’ll be back on Monday,” at the end of the episode.
There is currently no information or comment from Fox News or Carlson on why he is leaving, according to NBC News.
Until the network finds a permanent anchor for the 8 p.m. programming time slot, Fox News will be using a rotation of of interim hosts.
Tucker Carlson Tonight had been one of the most-watched shows on American cable news and a cornerstone in Fox News’ lineup since 2016. It outpaced rivaling shows on MSNBC and CNN. Carlson took over the 8 p.m. time slot after Bill O’Reilly (Killing Kennedy, Iron Man 2) left the network in 2017 due to a series of sexual harassment allegations.
Fifty-three year-old Carlson has consistently been one of the most influential conservative figures and has regularly been involved in controversies regarding statements about LGBTQ+ rights, immigration, racism, and other issues.
The decision of Carlson’s departure was made by Fox Corp. CEO, Lachlan Murdoch (Murdoch Mysteries, The Santa Clause), and Fox News CEO, Suzanne Scott (Dead Air, Growth).
Brian Kilmeade (One Nation, No News is News), Fox and Friends co-host, anchored the 8 p.m. programming block on Monday and stated, “As you probably have heard, Fox News and Tucker Carlson have agreed to part ways. I wish Tucker the best.” Kilmeade continued, “I’m great friends with Tucker and always will be, but right now, it’s time for ‘Fox News Tonight,’ so let’s get started.”
According to NBC, the stock price of Fox News’ parent company, Fox Corp., dropped more than 4% after the announcement of Carlson’s departure.
NBC News also reports that the network is currently being sued by former producer of Carlson’s show, Abby Grossman. In a legal filling, Grossman alleged that Carlson fostered “a work environment that subjugated women based on vile sexist stereotypes, typecasted religious minorities and belittled their traditions, and demonstrated little to no regard for mental health.”
Carlson has worked at CNN and MSNBC, wrote articles for magazines such as The Atlantic and Esquire, and co-founded The Daily Caller, a conservative commentary website.