Fox News is making a slight change to a program that carries a lot of weight.
Emily Compagno, a co-host of the early-afternoon program “Outnumbered” on the cable outlet, will join its most-watched program, “The Five,” as a co-host, Fox News CEO Suzanne Scott said Monday. Compagno will fill in a fourth seat that has been staffed with rotating personalities since Jeanine Pirro left the program last year to serve as interim U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia. Compagno, who has also worked as a legal analyst for Fox News, will start September 8.
She will work alongside the show’s regulars: Greg Gutfeld, Dana Perino, Jesse Watters and the two alternating co-hosts who seek to offer a liberal perspective, Jessica Tarlov and Harold Ford, Jr.
Any change to “The Five” isn’t to be made lightly. The roundtable discussion program has stood as the most-watched program on cable news for 19 consecutive quarters — more than four years — and regularly wins bigger audiences than even Fox News’ primetime offerings. The show was originally conceived in 2011 as a program that would give more air time to a bevy of Fox News contributors who did not have their own roost on the schedule. Now, it sometimes serves as a launching pad that can boost one of its co-hosts into other prominent Fox News projects.
What’s more, Fox News is, like the rest of the cable-news sector, entering into a news cycle that often generates bigger audiences and more attention. The run-up to the 2026 midterm elections is expected to draw a wider swath of eyeballs not only to Fox News, but competitors such as MS NOW and CNN>
Maintaining the chemistry among the on-air team at “The Five” is critical. “I believe a show like ‘The Five’ reflects how many of us live our lives — with family and friends having varying backgrounds and opinions on a wide range of topics from politics to crime and culture stories to water-cooler topics…and even if we are debating or disagreeing about something, we can end every topic laughing and feeling good,” Scott told Variety in 2019. “And that is what we see on ‘The Five’ — they can disagree and debate but still have fun and laugh together in the end.”
“The Five” “remains a powerhouse and appointment viewing for millions of Americans,” Scott said in a statement. “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.”
Compagno, who hails from a military family, joined Fox News in 2018. In addition to her work as a contributor and co-host, she has led a program on the streaming outlet Fox Nation and hosted a Fox News podcast focused on true crime. She has the intriguing distinction of having worked as a criminal defense attorney while also leading the Oakland Raiders’ cheerleading squad.
Fox News names Compagno to the role just as speculation has begun to bubble about Pirro’s future with the Trump administration. Earlier this month, President Trump expressed displeasure with a decision by Pirro to pull back on blaming vandals for damage that has occurred at the Reflecting Pool on the National Mall, which Trump sought to upgrade, awarding a no-bid contract valued at $14.7 million to a contractor, Atlantic Industrial Coatings, to repaint and waterproof the bottom of the basin.
“I couldn’t be more honored to join ‘The Five,’ a team I have long admired and have been fortunate to work alongside over the years,” Compagno said in a statement. “Having an official seat at the table on what I truly believe is the most fun show on television is an incredible privilege. I am grateful for the opportunity and can’t wait to get started.”