Fox News releases left-leaning host over his 'personal issues'

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."

A former Democratic consultant who had become the cable news outlet's most prominent left-leaning voice, Beckel had been off teh 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.

According to CNNMoney, the channel a month later released a statement indicating Beckel checked into a rehab facility for treatment of prescription drug addiction.

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

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