Fox News has tapped Emily Compagno to fill the open seat on “The Five,” locking in a familiar face for the cable giant’s biggest show ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
Compagno, a co-host of the early-afternoon program “Outnumbered,” will officially join Greg Gutfeld, Dana Perino and Jesse Watters at the roundtable beginning Sept. 8, Fox News CEO Suzanne Scott announced Monday.
Jessica Tarlov and Harold Ford Jr. will continue alternating in the show’s liberal seat.
Compagno takes over the spot vacated by Jeanine Pirro, who left “The Five” last year after President Donald Trump named her interim U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia. Fox News had relied on a rotation of personalities to fill Pirro’s former chair in the meantime.
“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.”
The move puts Compagno on the most-watched program in cable news, a ratings juggernaut that has held the top spot for 19 consecutive quarters. “The Five” routinely outdraws Fox News’ primetime lineup despite airing at 5 p.m. Eastern.
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Created in 2011 as a vehicle for Fox News contributors without their own programs, “The Five” has since become one of the network’s most valuable launching pads. Gutfeld and Watters both parlayed their roles on the roundtable into prominent primetime shows.
Fox News is making the adjustment as cable networks brace for a surge of political interest ahead of the midterms. CNN and MS NOW will also be looking to capitalize on the election-year audience.
Scott previously credited the success of “The Five” to its ability to pair sharp political disagreements with the kind of banter viewers might hear among friends or relatives.
“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.”
Compagno joined Fox News in 2018 and has served as both a contributor and legal analyst in addition to her role on “Outnumbered.” She has also hosted a Fox Nation program and a Fox News true-crime podcast.
The California native comes from a military family and previously worked as a criminal defense attorney. She also served as captain of the Oakland Raiders cheerleading squad before launching her television career.
