Jesse Watters host of “The Five” interviews Jenna Bush Hager and Barbara Bush during “The Five” at Fox News Studios on November 13, 2017 in New York City.
John Lamparski | Getty Images
Fox News has named Jesse Watters as the newest star of its 8 p.m. ET primetime slot, as the network looks to boost ratings two months after ousting Tucker Carlson from the post.
Watters, who rose through the ranks from production assistant to one of the most popular faces on the network, has established himself as one of Fox News’ leading conservative voices. He is currently the host of the 7 p.m. opinion show “Jesse Watters Primetime,” and appears regularly on “The Five,” one of Fox News’ highest rated programs.
As part of the nighty show shakeup, Laura Ingraham’s show will begin the primetime programming block at 7 p.m., while Sean Hannity’s segment will remain in the 9 p.m. slot. Greg Gutfield’s comedy program will move to 10 p.m.
“FOX News Channel has been America’s destination for news and analysis for more than 21 years and we are thrilled to debut a new lineup,” said Fox News CEO Suzanne Scott in a news release. “The unique perspectives of Laura Ingraham, Jesse Watters, Sean Hannity, and Greg Gutfeld will ensure our viewers have access to unrivaled coverage from our best-in-class team for years to come.”
The moves comes as Fox News’ primetime ratings have suffered since Carlson’s abrupt departure in April.
The right wing host was ousted the week after parent company Fox Corp. agreed to shell out $787.5 million to settle Dominion Voting Systems’ defamation lawsuit. There was no sendoff for Carlson and his “Tucker Carlson Tonight,” which had long been one of Fox’s most-watched shows.
Fox’s 8 p.m. ratings took a noticeable dip in the wake of Carlson’s departure, and fledgling networks like Newsmax reaped the benefits in the ensuing weeks.
Carlson has since started his own show on Twitter. While Carlson has posted videos on Twitter, he has yet to publicly address why he was fired from Fox. His departure was reportedly the result of vulgar, behind-the-scenes messages unearthed during the discovery process in the Dominion lawsuit.
Meanwhile, Fox News has since sent a cease-and-desist letter to Carlson, alleging a breach of contract by launching a new show on the social media platform, NBC News previously reported.