Bill O'Reilly Tells Viewers He's Taking a Vacation: 'We All Need R&R'
Embattled Fox News host Bill O'Reilly is taking some time off amid a sexual harassment uproar that has led numerous sponsors to pull their ads from his show.
“Around this time of year I grab some vacation because it's spring and Easter time,” he said at the conclusion of Tuesday night's O’Reilly Factor.
As rumors swirl about O'Reilly's future with the network, he made a point of saying that the vacation has been planned for a while and reassured viewers that he will definitely be back.
He even encouraged his fans to take some time off.
"Here's my tip of the day — if you can possibly take two good trips a year, it'll refresh your life. We all need R&R," he said.
O’Reilly has been under intense pressure since a bombshell report in The New York Times April 1 revealed he and Fox News paid out $13 million to settle claims of "sexual harassment" or other "inappropriate behavior" over the years.
The report has resulted in more than 20 companies pulling their ads from the pundit's talk show.
A month ago, advertisers had bought up more than 15 minutes of ad time on the one-hour show a figure that fell to under seven minutes, The Times reported Tuesday. By Monday, the number had gained some ground as the show logged eight minutes and 15 seconds of commercials.
Read: Former Fox News Guest Accuses Bill O'Reilly of Inappropriate Behavior
Fox News is reportedly mulling his departure from the network, but the host and author’s reps insist it really is just a vacation.
"The arrangements, including airline and hotel reservations, for this vacation were made last October," the O'Reilly camp said in a statement. "The vacation involves a group of people, and the timing coincides with the period Mr. O'Reilly often takes off in and around his children's spring break."
Inside Edition did some checking and confirmed Bill O'Reilly did go on a weeklong vacation at this time of year in 2016.
