Fox News Announces New Co-Host on ‘The Five’

Fox News has named Emily Compagno as a permanent co-host on “The Five,” filling the chair left open after Jeanine Pirro departed last year.

Compagno, already a co-host on the afternoon show “Outnumbered,” will join Greg Gutfeld, Dana Perino, and Jesse Watters beginning Sept. 8. Fox News CEO Suzanne Scott announced the move Monday.

Jessica Tarlov and Harold Ford Jr. will keep rotating through the program’s liberal seat.

Pirro left after President Donald Trump named her interim U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia. Fox had been using a rotation of hosts in the meantime.

Scott called “The Five” “a powerhouse and appointment viewing for millions of Americans.”

“Emily is a highly accomplished host whose energy and talent have made her a standout across Fox News Media, and we are thrilled to officially welcome her to the show,” Scott said.

The program remains the most-watched show in cable news and has held the top spot for 19 consecutive quarters. It routinely beats Fox’s own primetime lineup despite airing at 5 p.m. Eastern.

Created in 2011 as a home for contributors without their own shows, “The Five” became a launching pad. Gutfeld and Watters both used it to move into primetime.

Compagno joined Fox in 2018 as a contributor and legal analyst. She has hosted a Fox Nation program and a true-crime podcast.

The California native comes from a military family, worked as a criminal defense attorney, and previously served as captain of the Oakland Raiders cheerleading squad.

Fox is making the change as cable networks prepare for a midterm-year audience surge. The network is betting a familiar face on its biggest daytime franchise is the safer play than another year of rotating chairs.