Medhi Hasan said that he is leaving MSNBC after the network canceled his weekend show.

“I’ve decided that it’s time for me to look for a new challenge,” he said at the end of his program on Sunday.

The network shuffled its weekend lineup last year, dropping his weekend show while saying that he would remain as a commentator and fill-in anchor. With his hard hitting interviews, he had been considered a rising star. But his commentaries, particularly about Israel, have sparked controversy.  That included a contentious interview earlier this month with Mark Regev, an adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Sunday’s episode was his final show, and he told viewers, “As we begin 2024, with an election coming, a war still ongoing and too many Trump trials honestly to even keep track of, and with this show going away, I’ve decided it’s time for me to look for a new challenge. Tonight it is not just my final episode of The Mehdi Hasan Show, it’s my last day with MSNBC. Yes, I’ve decided to leave. To be clear. I am so proud, so proud of what we have achieved on this show, on this network.” He told viewers that they could continue to follow him online.

Mehdi Hasan

When the weekend lineup plans were announced in late November, his show’s cancellation came as a surprise, given that his interviews had drawn a lot of viral moments. His show has not been a ratings blockbuster — it averaged about 520,000 viewers in October — but the network often promoted that it beat rival CNN in its time slot.

MSNBC host Chris Hayes wrote on Threads at the time, “The nature of this business is that people who are supremely talented sometimes have shows cancelled. It’s rough every time, but it comes with the territory (lord knows I’ve been close myself!)” He went on to call Hasan “one of the most talented broadcast journalists I’ve ever seen or worked with and probably the single best interviewer in American TV. Grateful to have him as a colleague.”

Hasan joined the network in 2021, after serving as a presenter on Al Jazeera’s English channel and a podcast host for The Intercept.

MSNBC has not commented, but Ayman Mohyeldin will host the hour next week as he expands his hosting duties. He will now be anchoring for four hours on weekends.

MSNBC faces mounting outrage for canceling Mehdi Hasan’s show