Sarah Palin, former governor of Alaska, walks to her "One Nation Tour" bus after a visit to Fox News headquarters in New York, June 1, 2011. (REUTERS/Gary Hershorn)

Republican former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin has parted ways with Fox News Channel after working for three years as a paid commentator, the cable TV network said on Friday.

Palin, who went from being a little-known governor to a political sensation after Senator John McCain picked her as his running mate in the 2008 presidential election, was one of the channel’s biggest names despite appearing only occasionally.

“We have thoroughly enjoyed our association with Governor Palin,” Bill Shine, Fox News Channel executive vice president of programming, said in a statement. “We wish her the best in her future endeavors.”

Fox News Channel declined to give details of Palin’s departure, and a spokesperson said only that the two had “parted ways.”

Palin, a polarizing figure in U.S. politics, has enjoyed a strong following among many Republicans and supporters of the conservative Tea Party movement. Fox News Channel appeals to a conservative audience.