MSNBC’s highest-rated host Rachel Maddow criticised her own network on-air following the sudden cancellation of The ReidOut and the departure of its host, Joy Reid. Maddow, who rarely veers off-script, dedicated time on Monday night to address the shake-up, calling Reid’s exit “very, very, very hard to take”.

“I am 51 years old. I have been gainfully employed since I was 12… and in all those years, there is no colleague for whom I have had more affection and more respect than Joy Reid,” Maddow said. “I love everything about her. I have learned so much from her… I think it is a bad mistake to let her walk out the door.”

The ReidOut was canceled abruptly on Sunday after a four-and-a-half-year run, coinciding with a broader network restructuring following Rebecca Kutler’s appointment as MSNBC’s new president, succeeding Rashida Jones.

The decision has stirred controversy, especially given Reid’s position as one of the few nonwhite primetime hosts on the network. Addressing this directly, Maddow said, “It is unnerving to see that on a network where we’ve got two…nonwhite hosts in primetime, both are losing their shows…That feels worse than bad…That feels indefensible. And I do not defend it.”

Reid’s show was often polarising, known for tackling heated topics like immigration, Israel-Palestine and racial justice. Yet, for many viewers, her voice was a crucial presence in the network’s primetime lineup.