Bill O'Reilly Breaks Silence About His Exit From Fox News: "I Was Very Surprised How It All Turned Out"

The network severed ties with its longtime news anchor last week

By Samantha Schnurr Apr 25, 2017 1:28 PMTags
Bill O'ReillyPatricia Schlein/Star Max/GC Images

Bill O'Reilly is back on the airwaves, just not his usual ones. 

The former Fox News host released a free edition of his new podcast, No Spin News, on his self-titled website Monday and took to the show with a brief message to his followers. 

"I am sad that I'm not on television anymore," he began. As is common knowledge by now, the network announced last Wednesday that the 67-year-old political commentator would not return to his post on The O'Reilly Factor after a New York Times report publicized sexual harassment allegations against the anchor. 

"After a thorough and careful review of the allegations, the company and Bill O'Reilly have agreed that Bill O'Reilly will not be returning to the Fox News Channel," 21st Century Fox said in a statement. At the time of the announcement, O'Reilly was on an Easter vacation in Italy and away from the show. 

photos
Late-Night Talk Show Hosts

He responded to the news with a statement of his own, saying it was "tremendously disheartening that we part ways due to completely unfounded claims." However, his podcast marked the first time he had spoken publicly on the situation. 

"I was very surprised how it all turned out," he told listeners Monday. "I can't say a lot, because there's much stuff going on right now."

During the address, he claimed there was more to come out of the story. "I can tell you that I'm very confident the truth will come out, and when it does, I don't know if you're going to be surprised, but I think you're going to be shaken, as I am. There's a lot of stuff involved here," he continued. 

However, that was as much as O'Reilly wanted to say. "I can't say anymore because I just don't want to influence the flow of the information. I don't want the media to take what I say and misconstrue it," he concluded. "However you, as a loyal O'Reilly listener, have a right to know, I think, down the lane what exactly happened. And we are working in that direction, okay?"