Tucker Carlson leaves Fox News

Fox News has announced that Tucker Carlson, a highly-rated US TV host, will no longer be hosting his primetime slot on the network.

The two have agreed to "part ways", with Carlson's last TV programme airing on Friday 21 April.

The statement did not give any reason for the decision. Until a permanent replacement is found, a series of interim hosts will take over Carlson's slot.

Carlson's programmes have often set the agenda for conservatives and the Republican Party.

He offered a blend of populist conservative takes on issues ranging from immigration, crime, race, gender, and sexuality, with "woke" ideology being a frequent target.

Carlson's programme was one of the top ten rated programmes on US cable TV, and he was Fox News' top-rated host, with over three million viewers tuning in on an average night.

Although he publicly agreed with Donald Trump, he occasionally diverged from the former president's political views.

Fox News settled a defamation lawsuit from the voting machine company Dominion over its coverage of the 2020 presidential election, just days before announcing Carlson's departure.

Dominion argued that its business was harmed by Fox spreading false claims its machines were rigged against Mr Trump. Fox News' competitors, including Newsmax, have already begun to capitalise on Carlson's departure.

Carlson’s private messages were among hundreds of internal communications made public in the course of the lawsuit that caused angst and embarrassment for Fox and heightened the company’s legal jeopardy — Fox ultimately agreed to pay Dominion $787.5 million.