Fox News Host Abruptly Announces Departure From Network

By Daniel S. Levine

Fox News Sunday anchor Chris Wallace surprisingly announced on Sunday he is leaving the network, effective immediately. Just two hours after he said goodbye to viewers, CNN confirmed Wallace will join its new CNN+ streaming platform to host a weekday show. Wallace hosted Fox News Channel's Sunday morning show for 18 years.

"After 18 years – this is my final Fox News Sunday. It is the last time – and I say this with real sadness – we will meet like this," Wallace told viewers at the end of this weekend's broadcast. "Eighteen years ago, the bosses here at Fox promised me they would never interfere with a guest I booked or a question I asked. And they kept that promise. I have been free to report to the best of my ability, to cover the stories I think are important, to hold our country's leaders to account. It's been a great ride."

Wallace, the son of the late 60 Minutes journalist Mike Wallace, said he wanted to "try something new" and "go beyond politics" to cover his other interests. "I'm ready for a new adventure. And I hope you'll check it out. And so – for the last time, dear friends – that's it for today," he said. "Have a great week. And I hope you'll keep watching Fox News Sunday."

Fox News will replace Wallace with a rotating group of guest hosts until a permanent host is named. Bret Baier, John Roberts, Shannon Bream, Martha MacCallum, Jennifer Griffin, Neil Cavuto, Dana Perino and Bill Hemmer are expected to be included in the roster of guest hosts, a source told Variety. "We are extremely proud of our journalism and the stellar team that Chris Wallace was a part of for 18 years. The legacy of Fox News Sunday will continue with our star journalists, many of whom will rotate in the position until a permanent host is named," Fox News Media said in a statement Sunday.

Wallace, 74, wasn't without a job for very long. A few hours after his final Fox News Sunday aired, CNN released a statement from the journalist, announcing his decision to anchor a CNN+ show. The streaming service is expected to launch in early 2022. Wallace is "thrilled" to join CNN, he said in a statement, adding, "After decades in broadcast and cable news, I am excited to explore the world of streaming. I look forward to the new freedom and flexibility streaming affords in interviewing major figures across the news landscape – and finding new ways to tell stories."

Wallace started his journalism career in the early 1970s and gained notice nationally after joning NBC News in 1979. In 1989, he joined ABC News, where he worked until joining Fox News in 2003. In 2018, he earned Fox News' first Emmy nomination thanks to his interview with Russian President Vladimir Putin. He also moderated general election presidential debates in 2016 and 2020.

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