Logan Reid
Tucker Swanson McNear Carlson is an American conservative political commentator and former host of the nightly political talk show Tucker Carlson Tonight on Fox News. Carlson underwent emergency back surgery in November 2021 and was hospitalized with appendicitis in 2017.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Year | 2017, 2021 |
| Month | June, November |
| Day | 16th, Wednesday |
| Reason | Appendicitis, Back Surgery |
| Surgery Details | Treated with intravenous fentanyl and other powerful painkillers |
| Surgery Impact | Traumatic, scared him, didn't touch the pain |
| Show Impact | Carlson missed his Thursday night show, Wells drove him to the hospital |
| Viewers | 4 million, largest non-election night audience in months |
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What You'll Learn
Tucker Carlson underwent emergency back surgery in 2021
Tucker Swanson McNear Carlson, an American conservative political commentator, underwent emergency back surgery on Wednesday morning in Florida in 2021. Carlson, who hosted the nightly political talk show Tucker Carlson Tonight on Fox News from 2016 to 2023, experienced severe back pain for several weeks leading up to the surgery.
Carlson's senior executive producer, Justin Wells, drove him to the hospital on Tuesday night after his election night show. Despite the surgery, Carlson returned to host his 8 p.m. show the following day, drawing nearly 4 million viewers and becoming the number one show on cable news.
Carlson described the experience as "one of the most traumatic things that's ever happened to me in my whole life, ever." He shared that he was treated with intravenous fentanyl and other powerful painkillers, such as dilaudid, which is stronger than morphine. Carlson also reflected on how the experience gave him a deeper understanding of America's opioid crisis.
This was not Carlson's first hospital visit. In 2017, he was hospitalized with appendicitis and missed his Thursday night show. At the time, his pre-taped interview with Frank Warmbier, the father of released North Korean detainee Otto Warmbier, was aired.
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He described the experience as traumatic
In 2017, Tucker Carlson was hospitalised with appendicitis. He missed his Thursday night show, and his pre-taped interview with Frank Warmbier, father of the released North Korean detainee Otto Warmbier, was aired instead.
Four years later, in November 2021, Carlson underwent emergency back surgery. He described the experience as "one of the most traumatic things that's ever happened to me in my whole life, ever". He told his production team that he had been suffering from serious back pain for several weeks and that he had been treated with intravenous fentanyl and other powerful painkillers, including dilaudid, which is more potent than morphine. Carlson said that the medication had scared him as it had caused trouble breathing, but it had not alleviated his pain.
Carlson's surgery took place on a Wednesday, and he was back on air for his 8 pm show that same evening. The broadcast drew nearly 4 million viewers, making it the number one show on cable news at the time and the show's largest non-election night audience in months.
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Carlson was treated with powerful painkillers, including fentanyl
In 2017, Tucker Carlson was hospitalised with appendicitis. The Fox News host missed his Thursday night show after being diagnosed with the condition, which can be life-threatening if not treated in time.
Four years later, in November 2021, Carlson underwent emergency back surgery. The conservative political commentator and former Fox News host was treated with powerful painkillers, including intravenous fentanyl. Carlson described the experience as "one of the most traumatic things that's ever happened to me in my whole life, ever".
In a recording obtained by Vice, Carlson said: "They hit me up... with such a huge dose of dilaudid, which is more powerful than morphine, when I got there, that I had trouble breathing... Scared the sh*t out of me. Didn't have any effect at all. And then all night, I lay there, the nurse finally upped my dosage of dilaudid to the point where every eight minutes I hit it and it was like getting shot."
Carlson added that the medication had "didn't touch the pain". He said that being treated with fentanyl had given him a deeper understanding of America's opioid crisis.
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He was back on air the day after his surgery
Tucker Carlson, an American conservative political commentator, underwent emergency back surgery on a Wednesday in November 2021. Despite the surgery, Carlson was back on air for his 8 p.m. show the very next day.
Carlson's senior executive producer, Justin Wells, drove him to the hospital on Tuesday night after his election night show. It is believed that Carlson had been suffering from severe back pain for several weeks leading up to the surgery.
Carlson described the experience as "one of the most traumatic things that's ever happened" to him. He was treated with intravenous fentanyl and other potent painkillers, which gave him a deeper understanding of America's opioid crisis. Carlson shared his experience with his production team, telling them about the powerful effects of the medication he received.
The Wednesday 8 p.m. broadcast, which was his first show after the surgery, drew nearly 4 million viewers, making it the number one show on cable news at the time and the show's largest non-election night audience in months.
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Carlson was also hospitalised with appendicitis in 2017
In 2017, Tucker Carlson was hospitalised with appendicitis and missed his Thursday night show on Fox News. The host's pre-taped interview with Frank Warmbier, father of the released North Korean detainee Otto Warmbier, still aired. CNN anchor Jake Tapper wished Carlson a speedy recovery on Twitter, although his followers were less sympathetic.
Carlson had been experiencing a fever, and his doctor advised him to go to the hospital, where he was diagnosed with appendicitis. Appendicitis is a condition that can lead to death if not treated promptly and usually requires surgery to remove the inflamed appendix. A Fox News spokesperson confirmed the medical emergency, stating that Carlson was in good spirits and expected to be back on air soon.
Carlson's hospitalisation in 2017 was not his only health scare. In 2021, he underwent emergency back surgery, which he described as one of the most traumatic experiences of his life. Carlson returned to his show the day after the surgery, drawing nearly 4 million viewers and becoming the show's largest non-election night audience in months.
The Fox News host has also faced criticism for his on-air comments, including the promotion of inflammatory rhetoric about LGBTQ controversies and the belittling of US Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg's paternity leave. Despite this, Carlson has a significant following, with his show drawing millions of viewers.
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Frequently asked questions
Tucker Carlson was in the hospital for emergency back surgery.
Tucker Carlson underwent surgery on a Wednesday in November 2021.
Yes, Tucker Carlson missed his Tuesday night show after he was driven to the hospital by his senior executive producer, Justin Wells.
Yes, Tucker Carlson was back on the air for his 8 pm show the day after his surgery.
Carlson described the experience as "one of the most traumatic things that's ever happened to me in my whole life, ever."
