Bob Beckel Former co-host of ‘The Five,’

The longtime co-host of “The Five,” Bob Beckel, has died at the age of 73.

As one of the founding hosts of “The Five,” Beckel returned to Fox News in 2011 after working there as a contributor for the first time in 2000.

In order to temporarily occupy the time slot, “The Five” only had a five-week run when it launched in July 2011. After being canceled, the show remained on the air and has become one of the top-rated news programs on cable television.

Beckel co-hosted “The Five” with co-host Dana Perino and Greg Gutfeld when it first debuted.

Cause of Death

Beckel, who was recovering from back surgery at the time, was given the “pink slip” in 2015.

Bill Shine, Fox News’ then-VP Programming at the time of Beckel’s departure in 2015, said, “We attempted to work with Bob for months, but we couldn’t hold The Five hostage to one man’s personal concerns.”

When he appeared on The Five in 2011, Beckel spoke candidly about his struggle with alcohol and cocaine addiction. In his best-selling memoir I Should Be Dead: My Life Surviving Politics, TV, and Addiction, published in 2015, he elaborated on his sobriety path.