Why has Tucker Carlson left Fox News?

Tucker Carlson and Fox News have parted ways.

In a statement issued to the Independent, the network said that Carlson’s last show was Friday.

But they didn't say why he was leaving.

“We thank him for his service as a host and prior to that as a contributor,” the statement said.

“Mr Carlson’s last programme was Friday April 21st. Fox News Tonight will air live at 8pm starting this evening as an interim show helmed by rotating Fox News personalities until a new host is named.”

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Carlson began hosting his 8pm Fox News show Tucker Carlson Tonight in November 2016.

He has proved a controversial figure for his wide ranging views. He has previously called Andrew Tate "smart" and has been criticised for calling former US president Barack Obama a "hater".

In 2018, he said that immigration had made the United States “poorer, dirtier and more divided”.

Meanwhile, it comes after the Fox News network agreed to pay $787.5m (£634m) to settle a defamation lawsuit with Dominion Voting System. This was about half of the $1.6bn initially sought by Dominion.

Dominion had argued its business was harmed by Fox spreading false claims the 2020 presidential vote had been rigged against Donald Trump.

Trump repeatedly made claims that the election was "stolen" from him, apropos of no facts.

Legal findings released ahead of the trial suggested that a number of Fox journalists including Carson privately questioned these conspiratorial claims, but still put them on air.

In one series of text messages, Carlson said some of the claims were "insane", but Fox said these texts were taken out of context.

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