Veteran CNN news anchor leaves US broadcaster after ageist comments on air

A CNN news anchor has left the broadcaster after allegations of ageist comments made on air.

Veteran anchor Don Lemon came under fire following comments in which he said Republican politician Nikki Haley, 51, was not "in her prime". Ms Haley is a former UN ambassador and governor of South Carolina.

Following a dispute from his female co-hosts, Mr Lemon, 57, went on to defend his position. "When a woman is considered to be in her prime – in her 20s, 30s and maybe her 40s," he said. "I'm just saying what the facts are."

He later apologised for his remarks, saying he regretted his "in-artful and irrelevant" comments.

US television journalist Don Lemon, pictured here at the Recording Academy and Clive Davis pre-Grammy gala in February, has left CNN.

However, CNN said he had left the broadcaster.

“CNN and Don have parted ways,” Chris Licht, CNN’s chairman, said. “Don will forever be a part of the CNN family and we thank him for his contributions over the past 17 years. We wish him well and will be cheering him on in his future endeavours.”

However, in a message on Twitter, Mr Lemon told viewers his talent agent had told him “that I have been terminated by CNN”.

“I am stunned,” Mr. Lemon wrote. “After 17 years at CNN, I would have thought that someone in management would have had the decency to tell me directly. At no time was I ever given any indication that I would not be able to continue to do the work I have loved at the network.”

Mr Lemon was most recently a co-host of CNN's This Morning programme.