Tucker Carlson Out at Fox News Effectively Immediately

The biggest name in the Fox News primetime lineup is leaving the network immediately, according to multiple reports.

Tucker Carlson, a staple of the Fox News primetime lineup, is leaving the network, as the two have "agreed to part ways," according to a statement from the network.

Carlson's last show was April 21, 2023. Until a new host for Carlson's time slot is filled, "Fox News Tonight" will air in its place.

The move seems to be part of a larger shake-up and coming after the network settled a massive defamation lawsuit filed by Dominion Votings Systems. Fox News was accused of defaming the network when multiple show hosts on the opinion side of the network repeatedly invited on guests who questioned the legitimacy of the 2020 presidential election and accused Dominion's voting machines of "stealing the election" for President Joe Biden.

In the wake of that settlement last week came surprise show cancellations, including Dan Bongino's weekend show.

Carlson has repeatedly been a ratings earner for Fox News. In April 2020, his show surpassed Sean Hannity as the highest-rated primetime cable news show, with an average of just over 4.5 million viewers. Overall during the second quarter of that year, Tucker Carlson Tonight averaged 4.33 million viewers, which was the largest for any program in the history of cable news.

Since then, Carlson has consistently been one of the most-watched cable hosts in the country, and one of the most controversial. The post-2020 coverage, coverage of the COVID pandemic, and other key issues have made him both beloved by Fox's audience and also a frequent target of the network's detractors.