Watch Shep Smith's colleagues react to his abrupt Fox News departure on air

It seems that Shep Smith's departure was a mystery to everyone.

The Fox News host closed his Friday show with an unexpected announcement: That he was leaving the network he'd been at for 23 years. The show then transitioned to Your World with Neil Cavuto, where the host was obviously unprepared for the announcement.

Cavuto started his show off with a stutter, before introducing himself and saying "I'm stunned and a little heartbroken." He then gave an impromptu tribute to Smith, calling him a "decent human being" with "a heart as big as Texas." He then flipped to White House correspondent John Roberts, who seemingly had a bit more time to prepare but still said he was "hit by a subway train" with the news.

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Other employees at the network were reportedly "shocked" and "visibly upset" upon hearing the news live on Smith's show.