Bob Beckel OUT At FOX News Channel

Bob Beckel

Bob Beckel, a FOX News host who has struggled with prescription drug addiction, was let go Thursday in a move that a top executive blamed on Beckel's "personal issues."

CNN reports Beckel, a former Democratic consultant who had become the most prominent left-leaning voice at the conservative cable news outlet, had been off the channel for several months. In March, Fox News said that Beckel was off the air recovering from back surgery. Beckel said on Twitter at the time that he hoped to return soon to "The Five," Fox's highly rated evening panel show on which he often served as the lone liberal commentator.

A month later, FOX released a statement indicating that Beckel had checked into a rehab facility to receive treatment for a prescription drug addiction.

The addiction appears to have been a factor in Fox's decision to part ways with Beckel. Bill Shine, the channel's executive VP of programming, said that patience with Beckel had run out at the channel.

"We tried to work with Bob for months, but we couldn't hold The Five hostage to one man's personal issues," Shine said. "He took tremendous advantage of our generosity, empathy and goodwill and we simply came to the end of the road with him."

Shine said that Juan Williams and Geraldo Rivera "will be among those rotating on the show for the near future."

On Thursday evening, hours after the news came out, Beckel said on Twitter that Fox's statement "baffles" him and that he will "respond in the appropriate forum."

Thank u for thousands of Tweets not angry but very very sad Where I go from here is in Gods hands

— Robert G Beckel (@RobertGBeckel) June 26, 2015