Following reports about both King Charles and Kate Middleton being hospitalized, people took note of the fact that the Princess of Wales hasn’t been seen publically for months. While the palace has reported that the princess had abdominal surgery and is recovering, many think there's something else going on. Then, after a photo was released and later pulled of Middleton and her family because it was believed to be Photoshopped, the internet exploded with speculation and jokes as people try to figure out why the image was altered in the first place. Now, Blake Lively has created an ad trolling the family photo, while Tucker Carlson was pranked by YouTubers over it, showing just how big this crazy situation has gotten. 

Blake Lively Seemingly Trolled The Kate Middleton Photoshop Fiasco

Blake Lively, who is no stranger to trolling her husband, Ryan Reynolds, and using her platform to promote her brands in funny ways, took to Instagram to seemingly troll this Photoshop fiasco and promote Betty Buzz. Uploading a terribly photoshopped image that features mishaps like clearly faked lemons and a thumbs up when she’s seemingly tossing the lemon up, the actress/business owner posted:

Notably, in the caption, the Gossip Girl alum seemed to allude to the current situation with Middleton by poking fun at her statement about editing the Royal Family photo and people thinking the Princess of Wales is missing by writing:

Lively posting about her Pantashoes through a hilarious IG upload and her frequent Instagram hijinks with Reynolds show that a post like this is on-brand for her. She was clearly poking fun at the viral situation, and the comments didn’t fall for it as many either found it hilarious or thought the post was rude.

However, while people weren’t falling for Blake Lively’s post, in a different corner of the internet, Tucker Carlson did fall for a prank all about Kate Middleton and that viral family photo. 

Tucker Carlson Was Pranked Live On Air Over The Kate Middleton Situation 

Former Fox News anchor Tucker Carlson was on the opposite end of the hijinks surrounding Middelton as he was pranked by British YouTubers Josh & Archie. In the YouTube video about the prank, the creators explained that Archie Manners reached out to Carlson’s people pretending to be Middleton’s digital content creator, saying he had edited the viral photo. They also said he had been fired for the Photoshop job.

The video shows the phone call Manners had with the head of content for Carlson, and she asked him for some sort of proof that he had altered the photo. They then created a fake family photo and a letter of employment that was written so, as Josh Pieters explained:

He even said he added a clause that stated Archie would have a limb amputated if he didn’t pass the “probationary period.” Check out the post below:

Then, the interview was confirmed and scheduled. In the clip of the interview that’s used in the YouTube video from Josh & Archie, Carlson can be seen saying his team vetted him before the interview, and they tried to make sure he wasn’t “a fake Navalny or doing a prank or anything.” At the end of the interview, the reporter also complimented Manners, saying it was “great.” 

Well, it was actually a prank, and Tucker Carlson fell for it, as you can see in the viral Tweet of the video above. 

At the time of this writing, Carlson hasn’t responded to the prank, and the official interview hasn’t aired. The YouTubers got their video up before the interview was scheduled to go up on Carlson's page.  

These two situations truly go to show just how big this situation surrounding Kate Middleton a Photoshopped photo of her family has gone. At the moment, the general public doesn't know what happened to her or why the image was altered, but clearly, the internet can't stop making fun of it.

As the situation develops and we learn more about Kate Middleton, this photo, and the public's response to it, we'll be sure to keep you posted. 

Kevin Spacey has a long history of dropping Christmastime videos as his character Frank Underwood from House Of Cards, but this year, his newest is attracting a lot more attention as it’s an interview with Tucker Carlson. The seven-plus minute clip of the two talking has already attracted millions of views and has elicited a wide range of reactions, as the conversation seems to waffle back and forth between obviously fictional statements and real life commentary delivered in character.

The surprise video was uploaded to Tucker Carlson’s Twitter account, as well as YouTube, on Christmas Eve and went viral almost immediately. On the surface, it’s a vehicle for Spacey’s Frank Underwood to tease a possible presidential run, but not so subtly deeper than that, it’s a chance for the two men to bond over “both getting canned” and to point the finger at Fox and Netflix. They also take aim at society for being driven by fear and being too sensitive nowadays. You can watch the clip below…

It’s hard to find two more divisive figures in modern popular culture than Kevin Spacey and Tucker Carlson. The former won two Academy Awards, a Tony Award and numerous additional honors during a lauded career that spanned the 80s, 90s and 00s, but after allegations of sexual assault, he was fired from his hit show House Of Cards in 2017. Several other accusers came forward with their own stories, and he was subsequently removed entirely from his then-upcoming film All The Money In The World. He’s since been found not guilty in multiple trials, but some of his accusers also died before their day in court. He remains mostly excommunicated from Hollywood and the larger acting community, though he also has some high profile defenders, including Tucker Carlson.

Carlson himself was also fired, though under different circumstances. The exact details around what happened at Fox are still unclear, but like Spacey, he was the star of one of his network’s most popular shows. Then suddenly, he was abruptly terminated. Rumors have swirled it involved everything from Tucker's text messages to a speech that had too many references to prayer to ongoing fallout from the Dominion lawsuit. Regardless, he was suddenly gone, and now releases his show on X/ Twitter.

The interview between Spacey and Carlson is littered with comments from both men that take aim at so-called traditional media and at their former networks. It doesn’t take much reading between the lines to see both are still extremely angry about what happened to them. Exactly where they go from here, however, is anyone’s guess. Spacey has dabbled a little bit in acting lately, but unless something major changes, he seems unlikely to have a major comeback in a big budget movie. Carlson reportedly got some offers from smaller networks after he was booted from Fox, but he chose to go his own route through Twitter. It seems unlikely a major network will approach him anytime soon with an offer. 

Gone are the days in which Tucker Carlson would take to the airwaves on Fox News to share his views on current events. Fox let Carlson go earlier this year for unspecified reasons, though it’s been rumored that leaked DMs factored into the decision. After that, the media personality sought to strike out on his own and did so by heading to Twitter (or X) for a show. Now, he’s setting his sights on a larger goal, as it seems he’s starting his own streaming service. It appears Carlson has big plans for the platform, which will ultimately bank on fans really loving shows with him in them. 

If prospective viewers are to visit the Join Team Tucker page, they’ll see the offer for exclusive content from the political pundit. As part of his “alternative to legacy media,” the newsman is offering several pieces of content. Among them are five new TV shows as well as speeches and films from him. Investigative reports and documentaries are also on the table for those who choose to sign up in addition to behind-the-scenes tidbits from interviews. As it stands, the public has two membership options, with the monthly membership costing $9 per month and the annual membership being valued at $6 per month. 

This is an interesting move from the former CNN host, as he seeks to further his place within the media landscape. What I personally can’t help but think about are the TV series that he possibly has in the works. I mean, you could honestly fit “TC” into a number of different titles, which, to me, could humorously play on the monikers of established programs. This may seem a bit corny, but check out some (punny) titles that came to mind: 

• TC GAME HOUR
• TC And Friends
• Who Wants To Be A TC-Millionaire?
• The Bold And The TC
• Press Your Tuck(er)

Sorry, I’m done now. In all seriousness, the chances of such titles actually becoming a reality are slim to none. It’s still interesting to wonder, however, what exactly the head of TCN has in store. At the end of the day though, this is a massive gamble for him and, as previously mentioned, he’s truly counting on the idea that a lot of people are going to be tuning for content starring and spearheaded by him.

Tucker Carlson was a ratings winner at Fox, before the company opted to part ways with him. It was around that time that Carlson’s alleged (and redacted) texts came to light. They reportedly included incendiary sentiments, including racist remarks. The 54-year-old Daily Caller founder has since denied any connection to the messages. Fox News saw a major drop in ratings in the first month after his exit, though his exit helped the network financially. New advertisers opted to jump on the slot, which is now occupied by Carlson’s replacement, Jesse Watters. 

There’s a chance that Tucker Carlson’s devotees will end up lending their support to his burgeoning streaming service. His following still seems to be significant, and his Twitter show has brought in solid viewership. However, nothing is guaranteed, and it’s currently anyone’s guess as to whether anyone tunes in for a movie like Now You TC Me. (OK, I’m really done now.)

Fox News has been making a number of changes as of late, and one of the biggest occurred back in April when the network parted ways with longtime host Tucker Carlson. The circumstances behind his dismissal are unclear, as the company still hasn’t provided a concrete reason for it. Carlson seems to be moving on to new ventures and hasn’t said much about being let go by his former employer. Now, the polarizing political pundit is getting candid about his firing and says that he “honestly” doesn’t know why it happened. 

When the TV personality broke his silence following his Fox firing months ago, he didn’t say anything directly in reference to his former company. That changed, however, when he was the latest guest to join Russell Brand on his Stay Free podcast, where they discussed a myriad of topics. Brand asked Tucker Carlson how he’s been since his high profile exit from the news corporation. The conservative host said that he understands that such things can happen in the media industry and that he tends to take the “long view” when it comes to life and the media industry. However, it sounds like he still didn’t see this coming: 

Though the Fox Corporation has yet to provide a reason for firing him, rumors have swirled that a number of purported DMs impacted the decision. Said leaked texts, which allegedly belong to the Tucker alum, included inflammatory remarks, including racist sentiments. During his interview with Russell Brand, the pundit denied any link to the texts and played down the notion that someone from his former workplace shared them with the media. 

Fox News has found a replacement for him timeslot-wise, as Jesse Watters has shifted into that position. All the while, Tucker Carlson has started a new TV show on Twitter, which debuted to big numbers. The program has, however, sparked controversy, as Fox claims it violates a non-compete clause in his contract, which is still being paid out to him right now. However, Carlson’s camp has accused the conglomerate of fraud and argues that the contractual provision is no longer valid. Despite all of the legal drama, he seems pleased to be paired with the Elon Musk-owned social media platform:

Tucker Carlson continued to say that he thinks the subscription model that he’s now involved with will work for now and that he plans to stay with the bird app. So all in all, he appears to have no hard feelings towards his former workplace, despite the ongoing legal battle. Only time will tell how Carlson – who apparently wants to start a media company as well – will continue to navigate this new chapter of his career. Many will surely be watching that intently and waiting for updates on the Fox drama he’s embroiled in.

In June 2023, Jesse Watters was announced to be the full-time replacement for Tucker Carlson, the controversial host who departed the company just months earlier. The correspondent, host, and author has been a longtime fixture at the news channel, with more than 20 years of experience under his belt at the network. 

Though diehard fans (and detractors) of the network are surely aware of Watters, his signature style of broadcast journalism, and the various hats he’s worn throughout his time at Fox News, others may not be up to speed with the new 8 p.m. host and everything he has done over the years.

That being said, here are five quick things we know about the Jesse Watters Primetime host.

Jesse Watters Got His Start At Fox News With ‘Man-On-The-Street’ Interview Segments On The O’Reilly Factor 

On Monday, July 17th, Jesse Watters will take over the 8 p.m. (ET) spot previously held by Tucker Carlson, who, himself, was given the highly coveted primetime block following the departure of Bill O’Reilly in April 2017. And Watters should feel right at home when his new show starts up, as he made his on-air debut as a correspondent on The O’Reilly Factor back in 2003, according to his Fox News profile.

The soon-to-be primetime host got his start with the network as a production assistant back in 2002, but quickly shifted to an on-screen role with his “man-on-the-street” interviews on O’Reilly’s ratings juggernaut of a news program. In June 2023, Variety published an article describing the former Fox News host as Watters’ “Geppetto,” crafting him into the vocal on-air personality he would become over the years. These interview segments, which could be described by some as ambushes, were a major part of The O’Reilly Factor over the years, and would eventually lead to Watters building a legacy of his own.

In 2017, The Fox News Personality Was Given His Own Weekly Show, Watters’ World 

Jesse Watters’ “man-on-the-street” interview segments, which would later become known as Watters’ World, eventually led to the correspondent his own weekly series of the same name in January 2017, as CNN reported at the time. Ahead of the debut of the weekly, hour-long program, the then-rising star at Fox News released a statement thanking the network and the man who gave him a chance in the first place.

Though Watters’ World was given a one-hour slot on Saturdays starting in January 2017, it originally started out as a monthly special starting in November 2015 that ran through the duration of the 2016 President Election. The series, which aired its final episode in January 2022, focused primarily on politics, society, pop culture, and pretty much anything else Watters wanted to discuss each Saturday evening.

Jesse Watters Became A Co-Host Of The Five In 2017 

Just a few months after he was given his own solo show on Fox News, Jesse Watters increased his spotlight when he was named as one of the co-hosts of the live weekly panel talk show known as The Five. The series, which kicked off in 2011 with hosts Greg Gutfeld, Dana Perino, and various other Fox News personalities like the departing Geraldo Rivera, covers a range of topics that aren’t that surprising to fans (and critics) of the network, including politics, current events, and pop culture. 

In April 2017, not long into his time on The Five, Watters made controversial comments about the then First Daughter Ivanka Trump and took a short break from his hosting duties, Deadline reported at the time. Despite that controversy, and other statements made on the show in the years since, The Five remains one of the most popular shows on Fox News, and in January 2023, Forbes reported that it was the most-watched show in cable news. 

The Fox News Host Published His First Book, ‘How I Saved The World’, In 2021 

Over the years, Fox News hosts like Sean Hannity, Tucker Carlson, Bill O’Reilly, and several others have published multiple best-selling books focusing on a number of topics ranging from politics to history to memoirs about their experiences in the world of broadcast journalism. And in July 2021, Jesse Watters joined the ranks with the release of his debut book titled How I Saved the World.

In the book, which was published by HarperCollins, Watters took readers on an exploration of his early life, school days, and growth from a lowly Fox News employee to one of the most familiar faces on cable news. The book also features the pundit’s signature commentary on a vast array of topics in a brash and unapologetic tone that his viewers, and critics, have come to know over the course of his TV career. With glowing remarks about those he supports and not-as-friendly comments about “left-wing radicalism,” his book covered it all. 

Watters Was Given A Permanent Fox News Primetime Spot In Early 2022 

In early 2022, one year after he joined a roster of guest hosts that split up Fox News Primetime, Jesse Watters was named the program’s permanent host. The news came from The Hollywood Reporter in January of that year, in a story that also announced that Watters would continue to serve as one of the co-hosts of the panel show The Five in addition to his new 7 p.m. (ET) hosting duties each weeknight. At the same time, Forbes reported that the host would step away from his Watters’ World weekly show in light of the permanent post.

In a statement following the big announcement, Fox News Media chief executive Suzanne Scott said the network touted Watters’ connection with his audience while also looking forward to watching him grow:

The experiment seemed to have worked, as now Watters is the host of a program in one of the most prominent time slots in all of cable news.

Those are just a few things to know about Jesse Watters, the new replacement in a time slot held down by the likes of Bill O’Reilly and Tucker Carlson for much of Fox News’ existence. If you want to know about other shows coming to the cable news network, and other channels as well, check out our 2023 TV schedule.

Fox News Media shocked viewers and much of the TV news industry when it revealed in April that it parted ways with Tucker Carlson. The polarizing host and contributor had been with the network for well over a decade and had raked in strong ratings for it during his tenure. However, it would seem that the corporation is looking to freshen up its programming, particularly when it comes to its primetime content. Since Carlson’s exit, one big question has lingered: Who’s going to take over the 8 p.m. hour time slot. Well, we finally have the answer, and his replacement has officially been revealed. 

It’s been announced that fellow conservative pundit Jesse Watters is set to take over the spot formerly held by Tucker Carlson. This marks a change for Watters, as he previously held down the 7 p.m. hour, and he’ll now be succeeded in that position by Laura Ingraham. Other notable programming moves include Greg Gutfeld transitioning to 10 p.m. and Fox News @ Night shifting to 11 p.m. – which is an hour earlier than its previous slot. Sean Hannity is the only primetime personality who won’t be moving, as he’ll remain on at 9 p.m. Fox released a statement that was shared with CinemaBlend and more news outlets, and the news company sounds optimistic about the future: 

This development represents a bit of a full-circle moment for Jesse Watters, who began his tenure at Fox in 2003 shortly after he graduated from Trinity College. He got his start as part of the production team for Bill O'Reilly’s The O’Reilly Factor, which aired during the 8 p.m. hour at the time. Watters eventually started doing on air-segments for the show and, by 2014, he started guest-hosting Outnumbered. His credits also include The Five and his own eponymous show called Watters' World. More recently, he’s spearheaded Jesse Watters Primetime - a show that debuted in early 2022.

So needless to say, the 44-year-old media pundit has a long history with Fox News and has a considerable amount of experience as a result. With that in mind, his newly granted time slot upgrade makes sense from a logistical standpoint. It’s fair to say that he’s garnered a firm following of viewers, though few personalities at any network have been able to match the base that Tucker Carlson has amassed.

As of this writing, Fox has not provided a definitive reason for dissolving its relationship with Tucker Carlson. Sources have claimed, however, that his coverage of the insurrection on January 6 factored into the decision. It’s been said the powers that be were also displeased with leaked DMs containing racist sentiments that purportedly belong to Carlson. His ousting had an impact on the company, as ratings issues cropped up in the aftermath. Though one exec claimed his exit had been financially beneficial, as advertisers (who’d boycotted Carlson’s show and time slot) were starting to return.

The media maven has since taken to Twitter to start a brand-new program, though it’s already sparked some legal issues with Fox News Media. The company claims his new gig violates a non-compete provision in his contract, which he’s still being held to. However, he’s accused his former TV partners of fraud, and his lawyer argues that the aforementioned clause is no longer valid.

Aside from all of that though, it can definitely be said that Fox is making some major moves with Jesse Watters and co. It’ll surely be interesting to see how things pan out in the long run. And at the same time, expect viewers to also keep an eye on how Tucker Carlson continues to progress with his own media presence.

Since Tucker Carlson’s shocking dismissal from Fox News in April — for reasons that are still in question — the anchor’s loyal following has been eager to see where he would end up next. He recently debuted a new show via Twitter, despite still being under contract with his former employer and thereby possibly prohibited from such a move. After two episodes of Tucker on Twitter, Fox News has already filed legal action, but it appears Carlson has no plans to allow himself to be silenced, as a third episode is apparently still in the plans for this week.

Fox News has reportedly filed a cease and desist order against Tucker Carlson, arguing that the terms of the anchor’s $20 million annual contract — which remains intact through December 31, 2024 — dictate that Fox maintains exclusive rights to his content. The embattled Fox News alum, meanwhile, is arguing he has First Amendment rights to post on the social media platform, and his legal team has also alleged that Fox News breached their contract with the former Tucker Carlson Tonight host, rendering it invalid. Harmeet Dhillon, who represents the longtime anchor along with Bryan Freedman, said in a statement to Axios: 

Tucker Carlson previously said that he was prepared for a legal battle with Fox News and ready to “watch the network implode attempting to challenge free speech,” in regards to Tucker on Twitter. At question is likely whether or not the social media posts count as competing content, assuming the contract is still valid amidst the journalist’s claims of fraud against the employer. 

Regardless of the court battle that seems to be ensuing, for now Tucker on Twitter is set to post its third episode on Tuesday, June 13. Tucker Carlson retweeted former Tucker Carlson Tonight EP Justin Wells, who announced: 

A shocking number of people tuned in for the initial episodes of Tucker on Twitter, with the premiere episode being viewed more than 114 million times as of this writing. Episode 2 followed suit with an impressive 54 million viewings so far. While social media views can’t be realistically compared to network TV ratings, the numbers are still a striking contrast to what Fox News has seen from its audience since Tucker Carlson’s exit. 

Immediately following the anchor’s firing, the cable news network lost around 600,000 viewers week over week, and that trend continued as Fox News Tonight replaced Tucker Carlson’s popular primetime show. Average primetime viewership in May was 1.42 million — a 37 percent decline from May 2022.

We’ll have to see what comes from the ongoing battle between Tucker Carlson and Fox News, but for now at least, it seems the anchor will be continuing to share his opinions on Twitter.

Six weeks or so after being ousted at Fox News, the cable network’s former ratings king Tucker Carlson proved recent rumors about a new show true in the form of a brand new opinion-heavy news program not on television proper, but released through Twitter. The popular, though controversial, host seemed to further prove just how much more accessible online content is for potential viewers, as the first installment of Tucker on Twitter drew in almost surprisingly massive numbers. But was the new show something he was even contractually allowed to release?

Tucker On Twitter’s Huge Viewership Numbers

Tucker Carlson’s first exclusively online TV venture arrived in the form of a video that wasn’t quite 11-minutes long, but managed to cram in a lot of what likely would have been covered had this been an episode of Tucker Carlson Tonight on cable. And it’s been clear that viewers were eager to see what the conservative journo had to say, with the Episode 1 video currently boasting a view total north of 66.2 million, and it’s still rising. By all means, that’s more than half of the total audience for a Super Bowl in any given year. 

Compared to the audience that frequented his former home at Fox News, Carlson appears to have struck gold, silver, diamonds, platinum, Zonaite, unobtanium, and Vibranium with his latest effort. At the time of his forced exit, Tucker Carlson Tonight was averaging more than 3 million viewers, and that number quickly dropped in the aftermath, with a revolving door of guest hosts heading up the replacement series Fox News Tonight. The cable channel’s numbers indeed sagged across all metrics in the first full month without the host.

Now, to be clear, this isn’t the most level playing field for viewership comparisons to be made. Carlson’s Twitter upload has been streamed steadily since it was posted, without viewers needing to be locked into a specific TV airtime, and offer real-time stats as opposed to DVR/delayed viewer totals taking longer to get tallied. (Not to mention show clips being viewed by tons of people on YouTube and social media, which usually won’t be applied to the TV ratings stats directly.) As well, there’s no telling how many people clicked onto the video to see what it was, only to click away immediately without watching the full thing. Even with those caveats, though, it’s still mightily impressive.

Was Tucker Carlson Contractually Allowed To Make His Twitter Show?

One of the oddball stipulations involved with Tucker Carlson’s Fox News exit is that it wasn’t exactly an outright firing, at least not in the way Don Lemon was booted from CNN on the same day. Prior to the new show’s debut, Carlson was known to still be under contract with Fox for a deal that wasn’t meant to expire until January 2025, with the host still set to take in his $20 million a year salary. Conversations about his ability to bring his talents to other platforms increased after Newsmax was reportedly set to drop big money and job titles on Carlson, had he been able to take such agreements.

So for him to have produced and released the episode on Twitter, it stands to reason that Carlson is either not contractually bound to Fox News anymore, or that the specific stipulations tied to putting out videos on the social media platform somehow don’t run counter to whatever obligations he’d had. It’s entirely possible that this doesn’t necessarily count as a competing entity.

The only comment Carlson made about potentially not delivering more Twitter content related to the social platform’s powers that be, and Twitter’s stance as a free speech outlet. In his words:

For now, fans can obviously rewatch the “episode” on Twitter while waiting to see what the next step will be for Tucker Carlson’s post-Fox news career.

Compared to previous months, May was as positively calm and inviting as can be for the world of cable news, without any major personalities getting shown the door. Indeed, it was the first full month of programming for Fox News without its former viewership king Tucker Carlson, who notably parted ways with the network in April for reasons that still aren’t 100% confirmed, even if the rumor mill worked overtime on generating reasons. And to be expected, the numbers were markedly down across the board for the entire month, even if it wasn’t all bad news. 

In seemingly every base of measurement for the month, Fox News’ numbers trailed relatively far behind the network’s stats from a year previous, and were also clearly lower than they were during the final months of Tucker Carlson’s hosting run. For instance, the channel’s average primetime viewership throughout May was 1.42 million pairs of eyeballs, which is a 37% decline from where that average was for May 2022 (via Deadline). While not a full split-in-half situation, losing more than a third of an audience based on any one factor is not a great sign, even if it’s an insightful one.

When it comes to the all-important age demographic of 25-54-year-olds that’s more specifically fitting for cable news crowds, Fox News brought in an average of 135,000 viewers. That dropoff is far steeper, comparatively, as it’s 62% lower than what that demo average was the year prior. There’s a pattern here. 

For total day stats, Fox News enjoyed its most minimal dropoff, averaging 1.09 million viewers across the full slate. That’s a 25% dip from previous numbers, though the percentage gets higher again when it comes to the 25-54 demo average for total day measurements. Fox News pulled in 126,000 on average, which is a 45% decrease.

It was immediately obvious that there were going to be viewership issues, with ratings numbers immediately falling in the wake of Tucker Carlson’s exit. Since that point, Fox News replaced its crown jewel Tucker Carlson Tonight with Fox News Tonight, which has employed a revolving door of temp hosts, from Brian Kilmeade to Kayleigh McEnany to Lawrence Jones and beyond.

For all the dourness that comes with lower numbers, Fox News isn’t exactly getting pummeled by the competition or anything. In fact, all of the numbers noted above still managed to put the network on top of rivals MSNBC and CNN. The latter was also part of the de-anchoring mess in April when the allegedly problematic Don Lemon was fired, though he was part of the morning lineup and had no direct impact on primetime numbers.

While not the most flauntable victory, Fox News can still tout itself as the most-watched cable news provider out there. That said, MSNBC was the only one of the three to enjoy positive gains in all areas, and is closing the gap in that respect, even if there’s still a ways to go. MSNBC is averaging 1.16 million in primetime (up 14%), with 120,000 in the 25-54 demo (up 14%), and is averaging 736K viewers in total-day stats (up 16%), with 85,000 of that in the desired age bracket (up 21%).

CNN, meanwhile, is averaging 494,000 in primetime (down 25%) with 113K in the age demo (down 25%). The drop was only slightly lower, percentage-wise, for total day averages: 426,000 (down 21%) and 84,000 in the demo (down 21%). And that third place ranking may only get more stark if MSNBC’s numbers continue to rise accordingly.

Though Tucker Carlson’s primetime replacement didn’t make the cut for the Top 5 cable news shows, as measured by total viewers (or demo stats), Fox News still managed to take hold of all five slots with its programming, as laid out in the average-viewership totals below.

• The Five - 2.63 million (276,000 in 25-54 demographic)
• Jesse Watters Primetime - 2.14 million (194,000 demo)
• Hannity - 1.91 million (178,000 demo)
• Special Report with Bret Baier - 1.81 million (187,000 demo)
• Gutfeld! - 1.65 million (224,000 demo)

Give it up for Greg Gutfeld for pulling off a Top 5 placement, with a second-place average for its key demo ratings. And during a month when the WGA writers strike took out almost every other nightly talk show on TV. 

Only time will tell if Fox News will figure out a way to reverse the declining numbers going into the summer months, or if MSNBC will find its own way to take over the top spots. 

While everything appears to be settling back into normalcy at Fox News following its shocking split with the widely popular Tucker Carlson, a report published this week claimed the cable channel was set to start making some pretty audacious scheduling changes. In particular, it was stated that Sean Hannity’s eponymous primetime series was being eyed to take over the time slot previously filled by Tucker Carlson Tonight, in which the replacement show Fox News Tonight is currently airing. Further alleged scheduling details seemed to indicate that The Ingraham Angle host Laura Ingraham would no longer have any primetime real estate. Those claims have been contested by the channel, however, which called them “highly inaccurate.” 

Is Hannity Changing Time Slots?

When Tucker Carlson parted ways with Fox News in April, his program was the higher rated in all of cable news, and was averaging around 3.25 million viewers in March. Those dominant ratings have faltered since his exit, even if its replacement is still holding its own against the competition on CNN, MSNBC, and others. (And with a bunch of returning advertisers, no less.) In any case, Drudge Report alleged that the network would be trying to build that audience back up by shifting Hannity up from 9:00 p.m. ET to the 8:00 p.m. ET slot. Not the wildest idea, and possibly one that's being considered behind closed doors, but it's apparently not an idea that's actually being put into action.

According to Deadline, Fox News released a statement that ran counter to what was claimed, basically saying nobody's minds are made up about it. According to a spokesperson:

By all means, it also wouldn't be such a bonkers idea for the status quo to continue, with Fox News Tonight and its rotating slate of popular hosts: Brian Kilmeade, Kayleigh McEnany, Lawrence Jones, and Will Cain. The program is still regularly topping All In with Chris Hayes, its closest competitor, though there's reason to believe that shrinking lead could crumble further in the near future. Which would be bad news for its follow-up Hannity, which has seen its numbers dip after Carlson's exit. The Rachel Maddow Show's most recent Monday ep managed to eclipse Sean Hannity's show, which may have played into the scheduling rumors. 

Is Laura Ingraham Being Taken Off The Schedule?

Within the same story about Hannity’s reported shift, it was also claimed that Sean Hannity’s time-adjusted program would be followed up by shows hosted by Jesse Watters and Greg Gutfeld, with no specific spot in place for The Ingraham Angle, which currently airs at 10:00 p.m. ET. But that also sounds like it won’t be the case, with Fox News offering up a second statement of response hours after the first was shared, saying: 

Interestingly enough, the response only denies the notion that Ingraham will be leaving the network, and doesn't address whether or not she'll still be keeping her current time slot. It could be that the choice hasn't been made firm yet, without anything further to share. But for now, let it be known that she's not going anywhere far, even if the show does get moved.

A longtime-ish co-host on The Five, Jesse Watters previously hosted the monthly-turned-weekly series Watter’s World, which ended in January 2022 and was followed a week later by the debut of Jesse Watters Primetime, which holds down the fort in the 7:00 p.m. slot. Meanwhile, Greg Gutfeld has played a part in shaking up late night talk show viewerships with his ongoing chat show Gutfeld, which airs at 11:00 p.m. ET. It wouldn't be a necessarily bad or surprising move if Fox News execs wanted to give either of thoes guys a more central spot in the primetime lineup. But unless these shows start getting split into 30-minute airings, I don't think we'll see both of them jumping around.

For now, take comfort in knowing no other big changes are happening in the aftermath of Tucker Carlson's exit, even if tomorrow may tell a different story.

Viewers of cable news have kept their eye on Fox News since the network fired longtime anchor Tucker Carlson in April. Many questions remain about why he was let go, and there’s a lot of interest in what the popular media personality will do next. It was announced recently that Twitter might be Carlson’s landing spot — despite a non-compete clause in his Fox News contract — and that show could be coming pretty soon. Meanwhile, information continues to come out regarding Fox News’ settlement with Dominion Voting Systems and how that might have played into Carlson’s dismissal. 

Tucker Carlson’s Twitter Show Set To Launch Soon 

Despite still being under contract with Fox News through January 2025, Tucker Carlson is set to launch a new show on Twitter — where he boasts 7.5 million followers — and that could be premiering within the month, Variety reports. While other networks like Newsmax were apparently ready to offer Carlson a lot more than money, the longtime anchor is reportedly working quickly to get his Twitter show up and running. He’s set to broadcast from the full production studio he has at his home in Maine. 

Tucker Carlson’s legal team accused Fox News of fraud earlier this month, and amongst attorney Bryan Freedman’s assertions is that Carlson’s contract was breached when his client was pulled off the air, invalidating the non-compete clause. Should Fox News try to prevent his Twitter show from launching, the journalist is reportedly ready for a legal battle and to “watch the network implode attempting to challenge free speech,” a source told Variety.

More Rumors Swirling About Why Tucker Carlson Was Fired 

Fox News has not given a reason for its decision to part ways with one of cable news’ most popular pundits, but it’s thought by many that a trove of redacted texts that surfaced ahead of the network’s $787.5 million settlement with Dominion Voting Systems may have played a part. Variety now reports that a Fox Corp. board member told Tucker Carlson on the phone April 26 that his dismissal was part of the settlement, and that it was a verbal agreement with no written record of in the court documents.

A source told Variety the move was made against Tucker Carlson, despite the smaller role he played in the Dominion suit, in an effort to hurt Fox News’ ratings. The insider said: 

However, both Dominion and Fox Corp. strongly denied that Tucker Carlson’s ousting was a demand of the voting systems company, with Dominion releasing a statement to say: 

While the full story has yet to reveal itself, fans who miss seeing Tucker Carlson on the air might be in luck, should his Twitter show launch in his preferred timeframe, so keep your eye out for that. Following the polarizing anchor’s comments when he broke his silence following his firing, there are plenty of people who want to hear what he has to say. 

The news media landscape experienced a major shake-up in April when it was announced that Tucker Carlson was dismissed from Fox News after nearly 14 years with the network. After the news broke, speculation quickly began to arise in regard to the reason for the conglomerate’s decision and what the political pundit himself might do next. When it comes to the latter, we now know for sure that Carlson is planning a new show, one that’ll see him move away from the 2023 TV schedule and on to Twitter. Plans seem to be underway for the new production but, in the meantime, his legal team is accusing Fox of fraud. 

His legal team reportedly sent a letter to the news conglomerate before the 53-year-old media personality announced his upcoming show, according to Axios. The conflict specifically revolves around Tucker Carlson’s contract with the company, which he’s reportedly still being held to. Said agreement, which runs through January 2025, includes a non-compete provision that would prevent him from starting another gig. As part of the deal, Carlson will also continue to be paid by his former employers. 

However, reports indicate that the Fox & Friends alum is frustrated with this arrangement. In the letter sent to network bigwigs, attorney Bryan Freedman argues that they reneged on promises made to his client and did so “intentionally and with reckless disregard for the truth.” With that, the lawyer believes that this situation constitutes fraud. Individuals named in the document include company heads Rupert Murdoch, Viet Dinh and Irena Briganti, with others being referenced indirectly. Freedman further asserts that the conservative firebrand’s non-compete clause is no longer valid. It should be noted the new Twitter show would theoretically breach said contract.

Though the company has not provided a formal reason for Tucker Carlson’s termination, sources have provided alleged details on that front. Some claim that his coverage of the January 6 U.S. Capitol insurrection factored in. More recently, his firing was attributed to leaked DMs that purportedly belong to Carlson. The messages convey sentiments that apparently criticize his former network and convey racist views. On that note, via the letter, Bryan Freedman also says Fox disregarded an agreement not to leak any of Carlson’s personal communications. 

The attorney further claims the corporation made a promise not to settle its case with Dominion Voting Systems in a way that insinuates there was “wrongdoing” on the Daily Caller alum’s part. A spokesperson for Fox News has since denied that he was let go because of the case, calling said assumption “categorically false.”

When Tucker Carlson broke his silence after his firing, he made note of “unbelievably stupid” TV debates while also imploring his fans to “step outside the noise.” He was rumored to have had a number of offers before he decided to start up his new show. Early on, it was said that Newsmax wanted to offer him a lot of cash for his services. Carlson ultimately confirmed his new show via a message shared this week, which you can see below:

Fox News, meanwhile, seems to be dealing with ratings issues in the aftermath of the high-profile ousting. There does seem to be a silver lining, however, as the decision is apparently helping the network financially. Now that its former polarizing pundit is no longer in his primetime slot, a number of major companies are now looking to advertise during that programming period again.

Of course, we’ll still have to see how things play out in regard to the company’s legal situation with Tucker Carlson. Bryan Freedman and co. seem to feel as though they have a strong case. Whichever way things pan out, it’ll likely help determine the future of Carlson’s new Twitter gig.

It’s been something of a transitional period for cable news lately, with CNN having recently terminated its allegedly problematic anchor Don Lemon on the same day that Fox News cut ties with Tucker Carlson. The latter network has also been in financial catch-up mode following the $787.5 million lawsuit settlement with Dominion Voting Systems, and amidst Smartmatic’s defamation lawsuit that’s aiming for a $2.7 billion payout. One can imagine that any amount of good news is appreciated and welcomed at this point, and it appears there’s at least one big way that Carlson’s exit has allowed for “new” sources of revenue: advertising at 8:00 p.m. ET.

In the years that Tucker Carlson Tonight and its namesake have been cemented in that primetime lead-off hour on Fox News, as a successful replacement for Megyn Kelly, the time slot has been abandoned by dozens of its former advertisers, in large part due to the comments and viewpoints espoused by the host. And in case it wasn’t already crystal clear that Carlson was the key reasoning for the ad company boycotts, his absence from the nightly newsfront has led a growing number of high-profile companies to refocus on that key hour for the replacement show Fox News Tonight. Here’s how Jeff Collins, Fox News Media’s executive vice president of ad sales, explained it to Variety:

One of the biggest companies to once again embrace the 8 p.m. hour is Procter & Gamble, which has even notably been running ads specifically directed at female viewers, with products such as Gillette’s Venus razors and Secret deodorant. Other consumer-hunting companies that have lined up for ad spots during Fox News Tonight are the pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk, which has been heavily pushing the diabetes medication Ozempic, and the lawn care brand Scotts, which has aired ads for Miracle-Gro during the slot.

But that’s just three of more than 40 different companies that now view the primetime slot as key for viewer engagement. Even though it would appear Tucker Carlson Tonight’s replacement hasn’t done as well in the ratings for now, it’s possible that the influx of new brands are helping balance such setbacks. And what’s more, Fox Corp’s head honcho for ad sales, marketing and brand partnerships confirmed that the company intends to welcome back all of the biggest national brands in time.

Part of the reason Fox News Media’s Jeff Collins thinks that ad companies are now comfortable with returning to that slot is the tried-and-true format of Fox News Tonight itself. In his words:

Though Tucker Carlson Tonight was largely avoided by the company’s biggest advertisers, the primetime show still raked in tons of money from far smaller companies that weren’t risking as much by sticking with the hour. It was certainly an impressive achievement, especially since those companies (such as My Pillow, Balance of Nature and others) spent less on the spots, with the agreement that Fox News could use the ads whenever needed. Still, it seems like the company’s higher-ups are A-OK with welcoming back more widely embraced national brands.

Neither the ousted host nor Fox News have shared in-depth responses to the shocking turn of events in April, with Carlson only sharing a video days later that spoke to the topic in an indirect fashion. It's been reported that Newsmax is willing to shell out money and power to the host once he's able to take jobs with other news organizations, but we have yet to get a clear picture of where he might pop up next. Though it probably won't be in a Venus razor commercial airing between segments of Fox News Tonight.

This year’s White House Correspondents Dinner arguably happened at a perfectly fitting time for headlining comedian and Daily Show royalty Roy Wood Jr., as it happened very soon after Fox News split ways with Tucker Carlson, as well as after CNN terminated Don Lemon’s contract. Understandably, that gave Wood even more material than he would have already had for his 30-minute spot, and he used that advantage to deliver some fiery roasts for the currently unemployed news anchors.

Roy Wood Jr. could potentially take over as permanent Daily Show host if asked, having previously joined the rotating slate of guest hosts in the wake of Trevor Noah’s absence, and he further proved how excellent he is at winning over a crowd during the White House dinner. Even when that crowd is already preconfigured to laugh at political humor. He brought up what he dubbed the “elephant” in the room as he started off his time slot, as televised on C-SPAN:

Reginald VelJohnson, who recently returned to Sitcom Dad status for a Geico ad, probably wouldn’t be the TV talent many would expect to jump on stage and rail on Tucker Carlson and Don Lemon. And even if he was, he probably wouldn’t be equipped with the zingers that Roy Wood Jr. had. Here’s how he first delved into the Fox News of it all:

Wood then joked about how he couldn't remember which reality show Vanderpump Rules was, and joked about it being the white version of BMF, before going for a more racially sharpened punchline. 

The longtime Daily Show comic brought President Joe Biden into his jokes quite a few times during his 30 minutes or so on stage, but perhaps this was the biggest barb where Biden wasn't Wood's direct target. 

Which earned the below reaction from the POTUS:

Soon after, Roy Wood Jr. joked that Tucker Carlson's firing being somewhat rare for Fox News, in that it wasn't largely tied to harsh treatment of a woman, and then shifted his aim over to fellow ousted cable newsman Don Lemon, who is reportedly getting prepped for a possible legal battle over the millions still left on his contract. Wood continued:

That joke drew possibly the biggest laugh of any aimed at the two outgoing anchors, and that's as much a stellar comedic set-up as it is a burn on Don Lemon, even though it's indeed a great jab. 

Roy Wood Jr. did vaguely address Lemon's on-air controversy involving Nikki Haley, referring to it as him saying "a couple of women were raggedy to their face." But Wood invoked another uncomfortably scandalous incident, and the offending journalist, when dunking on Lemon. 

Everybody remembers Jeffrey Toobin, right? He's the CNN and New Yorker guy who...yeah, that's right...while on camera with co-workers. Not the most timely reference to make, but then time isn't really the main issue there. 

Currently, Tucker Carlson is rumored to be sparking a mega-offer from Newsmax, even if he probably can't take any jobs while still under any contractual non-compete clauses. The same goes for Don Lemon, who was also reportedly being courted-via-conversation by Newsmax. But as Lemon put it when asked about his future, he's doing just "great."

Could Roy Wood Jr., Tucker Carlson, and Don Lemon ever share the screen or stage together? Probably not, but one can certainly imagine how loud that room would get, regardless of its size.

It’s been less than a week since Tucker Carlson was given the boot from Fox News, ending a 14-year career with the conservative news network. While details have been scarce in regards to the reasons behind Fox News’ shocking move, the network has been tasked with replacing one of the leading anchors in all of cable news. Carlson, meanwhile, might not have too much trouble finding a landing spot. Reports indicate Newsmax would love to swoop up the former talk show host, and they’re allegedly willing to offer him more than just a nice paycheck.

Newsmax, a fellow conservative leaning media organization, is reportedly interested in not just giving Tucker Carlson his own primetime show on their network, but allowing him to program the whole channel, per TMZ. That would give the former Fox News employee a huge amount of power, including making decisions about what shows would precede and follow his own. Network executives have apparently made it clear to the people around Carlson that he would play a big part in rebranding their channel.

Tucker Carlson is still under contract with Fox News, so no formal discussions with other networks are allowed at this point. However, when looking at other players in the conservative news game, Newsmax has reportedly seen a good bump in the numbers in the days following the Tucker Carlson Tonight host’s dismissal.

The Nielsen company showed (via Fortune) that Eric Bolling, whose Newsmax show shared the 8 p.m. ET timeslot with Tucker Carlson, saw his viewership increase from 122,000 on April 18 to 562,000 on the Tuesday following Carlson’s Fox News exit. On Wednesday, Bolling experienced a similar situation, with the week-over-week numbers increasing from 168,000 to 510,000. 

It’s no surprise for Fox News that its viewers were seeking other avenues for their news, as the network saw an immediate dip in the ratings. Fox News reportedly lost around 600,000 viewers on average this week without Carlson in primetime. Tucker Carlson Tonight’s April 17 broadcast brought in around 3.2 million viewers, while the edition that aired the night of his dismissal roped in only 2.6 million viewers.

Of course with Tucker Carlson apparently unable to engage in discussions about future opportunities due to his contract, it’s unknown if he’s enticed by the power Newsmax is allegedly willing to offer him. TMZ also reported that NewsNation may want to throw its hat in the ring as well. The journalist broke his silence on April 26 with a 2-minute video on social media, and while he signed off by saying, “See you soon,” there was no discussion of when or where that will be.

Tucker Carlson’s parting of ways with Fox News came on the same day as Don Lemon was fired from CNN. That move was less surprising than Carlson’s, given Lemon was already under fire for various misconduct allegations, including “volatile behavior” toward his colleagues. 

This has been a hullabaloo-filled week for cable news networks, with two of the biggest headline-makers getting ousted from their respective gigs. Tucker Carlson’s exit from Fox News was perhaps more shocking than Don Lemon’s CNN termination, given the latter’s recent misconduct situation, and the all-around lack of negative attention surrounding Carlson at the network. But now that the dust is settling, with Carlson finally offering up a vague response to the issue on Wednesday night, it appears as if one of the major catalysts for the firing has been unearthed in the form of previously redacted text messages.

It’s being reported that a host of messages from Carlson, whose contents were previously blocked, were discovered by Fox News employees mere days before the company agreed to pay out a $787.5 million settlement to bring the Dominion Voting Systems lawsuit case to a close. What’s more, other reports surfaced claiming that one or more Fox News employees were keeping a secret dossier of damaging files against Carlson, with the idea that they could be used as potential ammunition if the former anchor decided to fight back.

Tucker Carlson's Redacted Texts

According to the New York Times, it was the day before Fox News was set to go to trial against Dominion Voting Systems when a team of execs and board of directors’ members discovered a host of private messages sent from Tucker Carlson that were reportedly of highly inflammatory, offensive and racist remarks; ones that were reportedly harsher than the usual thoughts he’d shared on the air and publicly. It was the first time these individuals were made privy to the messages, despite Fox News’ trial lawyers having already had access to them. 

The discovery is said to have sent the execs into panic mode, and Carlson’s messages reportedly fueled not only the company’s decision to settle with Dominion Voting Systems, but also the eventual choice to cut off one of Fox News’ most dependable ratings sources. Allegedly, the execs were compelled to take action in a way that would avoid an outcome where Carlson’s texts were brought up for under-oath questioning at trial.

That said, it’s also unclear why the aforementioned Fox News execs were unaware of the text messages ahead of time, especially when some of the non-redacted messages were reportedly widely. And while the going idea is that a variety of factors led the Board and others to choose to part ways with Tucker Carlson — which certainly include his on-air conspiracy theory pushes regarding the election and Jan. 6 attack at the Capitol building — the discovery of the messages is noted as being a vital piece of info regarding that decision. 

Fox News' Alleged Secret Files And Recordings

According to Rolling Stone, Fox News execs are already set up to potentially face off against Tucker Carlson if he would try to strike back against the network for his supposedbly agreed-upon exit. Multiple sources claimed that the network's communications department has an "oppo file" full of allegedly harmful information and reports against Carlson that would be leaked out if he would choose to get aggressive.

Fox News execs have officially denied those claims, as seen in the statement below.

For what it's worth, however, other sources who spoke out in the RS story say that Fox News communications department head Irena Briganti is known to have compiled files of that sort for all employees, with one former employee referring to it as a "dirty trick." But it's alleged that some of the documents within Briganti's folder match up with those of a ex-employee. 

While Fox News may or may not have its own special T.C. dossier, it would appear as if former senior booking producer Abby Grossberg has personally kept her own assortment of recordings of Carlson. She currently has two lawsuits going against Carlson and Fox News over allegations of a toxic workplace and misogynist behavior against female guests and employees. She appeared on MSNBC on Tuesday night and revoiced her accusations against Carlson and his also-fired executive producer Justin Wells, claiming they made her life "a living hell." Grossman claims to have upwards of 90 recordings made during her time of employment.

While it's possibly too soon to say whether or not Tucker Carlson's absence will dethrone Fox News as the cable news champ, Brian Kilmeade's first replacement telecast in the newly dubbed Fox News Tonight did tumble in the ratings numbers. It'll be interesting to see and hear what others in the cable news sector, such as Sean Hannity and Megyn Kelly, have to say about these latest allegations.

Cable news went through a major shakeup this week due to the firing of former Fox News mainstay Tucker Carlson. The longtime Fox News fixture was cut from the network on April 24, just days after a pricy lawsuit settlement between the network and Dominion Voting Systems. While details are few and far between other than a bare bones statement about Fox News and Carlson agreeing to part ways, the former host of Tucker Carlson Tonight has now broken his silence with a video that goes in some... unexpected directions.

Tucker Carlson took to Twitter just after 8 p.m. ET on Wednesday, April 26 with a video that runs just over two minutes, doesn't directly address his departure from Fox News, and goes on about "unbelievably stupid" debates and "true things." The timing may be no coincidence, as Tucker Carlson Tonight previously aired nightly in the same 8 p.m. ET hour on Fox News. He started his video with "Good evening" and "It's Tucker Carlson" before continuing:

"Step outside the noise" is presumably a reference to Tucker Carlson being cut from Fox News, but he doesn't get any more specific in the video. According to the former cable news host now, most TV debates are "unbelievably stupid" and "completely irrelevant," which... well, as he said, he's certainly someone who has participated in TV debates over the years. He continued: 

Fox News has been popular within its demographic for years, and Carlson doesn't seem to be omitting his former network from his critiques of "American media." Interestingly, his exit is already causing ratings issues for Fox News, which was almost certainly unavoidable. Carlson was all but the face of Fox News by the time of his departure, and even former colleagues like Sean Hannity and Megyn Kelly don't seem to know the story behind what happened. Carlson went on in his video:

Tucker Carlson signed off his message with "See you soon," which suggests that he has a plan to start reaching his audience again. It's hard not to compare his situation to that of former Fox News host Bill O'Reilly, who was ousted from the network (with a significant severance package) in 2017and planned a TV return later that year. Carlson actually inherited O'Reilly's former 8 p.m. ET time slot upon The O'Reilly Factor host's dismissal. Check out Carlson's full statement below:

Whether or not he does have a plan in place to return to television remains to be seen, and time will tell if he more directly addresses his firing in the days to come. At the time of writing, just two hours after Tucker Carlson tweeted the video, it has been retweeted more than 85,000 times and received more than 300,000 likes. 

One doesn't need to be a TV ratings guru to understand that a network losing one of its golden calves is going to result in some changes in ratings stats. Whether it's a broadcast network canceling a fan-favorite drama, a streaming service pulling the plug too soon, or a cable news giant axing its most noteworthy anchor, the numbers tend to droop a bit in the immediate aftermath. Such is the case over at Fox News, which delivered one of the biggest bombshells of the week with its announcement that Tucker Carlson is no longer with the network, with his April 21 telecast serving as the final installment of his ratings winner Tucker Carlson Tonight. And already, there’s been a noticeable change in the stats.

When revealing Tucker Carlson was on the outs, Fox News announced that his former time slot would be filled by the newly dubbed program Fox News Tonight, with plans for a revolving lineup of hosts to fill in for the foreseeable future. Brian Kilmeade of Fox & Friends was the first to fill the seat on Monday, April 24, and Tuesday, April 25. And it’s perhaps not the biggest surprise to learn that Fox News audiences were not quick to boost the replacement’s numbers higher than Carlson’s.

According to Mediaite, Fox News lost around 600,000 viewers on average week-to-week without Carlson in primetime. The TCT telecast airing on Monday, April 17, brought in around 3.2 million viewers, while the April 24 airing roped in only 2.6 million viewers. That kind of a discrepancy may not be the biggest dip for a scripted show like Yellowstone or a reality hit like Survivor, but that’s roughly 20% of the entire viewing audience for that period. 

Perhaps more noteworthy, at least in the short term, is that MSNBC managed to get a leg up on Fox News on Monday night by way of the key cable news demographic of 25-54-year-old viewers. Though Fox took the crown as far as total viewership went, MSNBC’s average demo managed to win out by a small margin during the 8-11 p.m. slot, with 247,000 to FNN’s 245,000. Not a smashing victory, but a victory all the same.

It’s not as large of a dip in totals as it might have been if Tucker Carlson’s exit had been highly publicized ahead of time, instead of suddenly making the rounds on the same day that Kilmeade was handed the temporary position. It stands to reason that quite a few people tuning in that evening had completely missed the news earlier that day, and were surprised to see someone other than T.C. on the screen. (Totally into Top Cat getting his own cable news show now.)

Tucker Carlson’s ousting was quite the shock throughout all of entertainment and pop culture, and not just the TV news industry, where past colleagues such as Sean Hannity and Meghan Kelly weighed in. Tucker Carlson Tonight famously took over Kelly’s former time slot, which she approved of at the time, after she vacated the network for her short-lived run at NBC News that ended with a huge payout. 

Could Carlson’s exit affect Fox News’ ability to remain on top of other cable news networks at the end of the year? The channel has been known for taking that top slot year in and year out more times than not in the modern era, so execs are likely putting all that into consideration behind the scenes when trying to figure out what the permanent fix should be.

Fox wasn’t the only news network making shocking headlines this week, as CNN reportedly fired its problem-courting anchor Don Lemon after his Monday duties on CNN This Morning. Given his A.M. numbers are apples to primetime’s oranges, it’s harder to know how his absence will affect CNN’s numbers in the longterm.

Tucker Carlson’s name has become synonymous with Fox News over the years, with Tucker Carlson Tonight boasting the network’s highest viewership. The conservative political analyst has been delivering the news and his commentary to a loyal audience since joining Fox News 2009 and hosting his primetime talk show since 2016. His longevity and longtime success were two of the reasons it was so shocking when Fox News announced April 24 that Carlson was no longer employed by the network. It wasn’t just his fans, either, who were surprised, as Sean Hannity and Megyn Kelly opened up about the unexpected move.

Sean Hannity refused to mention Tucker Carlson’s departure during the April 24 broadcast of Hannity, The Hill reports, with the host saying, “We’re not talking about Tucker,” when discussing CNN’s firing of Don Lemon, which occurred on the same day. However, he did mention it on his radio show, The Sean Hannity Show (via The Wrap), telling listeners he was also blindsided by the news: 

The parting of ways between Tucker Carlson and Fox News Media came less than a week after the news organization agreed to pay a $787.5 million settlement to Dominion Voting Systems over allegations that Fox News employees knowingly disseminated debunked information about the 2020 presidential election. Several texts and other messages from Carlson were a big part of the suit, though The Wrap reports his firing was unrelated to the settlement.

Either way, Sean Hannity could provide no clarification on the subject, as he continued:

Former Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly — whose time slot was taken over by Tucker Carlson when she exited the network — was also candid about the shakeup, saying on her SiriusXM podcast The Megyn Kelly Show that it was “a great thing for Tucker Carlson” but “a terrible movie by Fox,” who she said was misjudging their audience. She continued: 

LIke Sean Hannity, Megyn Kelly said she had no insider information from the Fox News higher-ups, but she did not pull punches about her feelings on her former colleague’s dismissal, saying: 

The final episode of Tucker Carlson Tonight aired April 21, and as of April 24, that time slot will be filled by Fox News Tonight. The show will feature a panel of rotating guests of Fox News anchors recognizable to the network’s audience. 

Since 2009, former CNN and MSNBC host Tucker Carlson was a fixture for Fox News and its growing empire, and it seemed as if he might have spent the rest of his journalistic careeer as a controversy-courting mouthpiece for the cable news juggernaut. However, that all changed on April 24, just a week after the network was part of a high-dollar lawsuit settlement with Dominon Voting Systems, as an official report was released stating that Carlson was no longer employed at his longtime home. 

A Fox News Media spokesperson shared the statement below:

It's quite the shocking move for Fox News Media, which seemed destined to stick by Tucker Carlson's side even through the leaked texts and other messages that were made public through the Dominion lawsuit. To be sure, no reasoning was given for the parting of ways, as it were, so it's unclear what exactly was the cause for the split. 

The split is effective immediately, also, with Fox News confirming that the Tucker Carlson Tonight that aired at 8 p.m. on Friday, April 21, was indeed its final broadcast. For the foreseeable future, the network announced that slot will now be filled by a show titled Fox News Tonight, which will feature a slate of rotating guest hosts from the network's ranks who will be familiar to audiences. 

Carlson is one of the big reasons why Fox News' ratings beat out other cable news outlets year over year, so one would think he won't stay unemployed for very long. Though his intentionally polarizing viewpoints and approaches to news vs. opinion may limit the avenues that would open up for him on the small screen.

Having joined Fox News in 2009, Tucker Carlson served as a frequent contributor across a variety of programs hosted by now-former colleagues Greg Gutfeld and Bret Baier, among others, and eventually landed a co-hosting spot on Fox & Friends Weekend in 2013. Carlson spun the popularity from that gig out in 2016 by launching Tucker Carlson Tonight, which quickly became one of the network's highest rated offerings in 2017 and beyond. 

It's presumed that Carlson's other efforts with Fox News Media, which also includes the Fox Nation podcast Tucker Carlson Today, will also be ending, though it's worth waiting until further updates to be sure about such things.

Interestingly enough, perhaps, this isn't even the first big public break-up involving a Fox News anchor this year, as network regular Julie Banderas announced her divorce on the air back in February.

The news of Tucker Carlson and Fox News parting ways was revealed not long before a similarly shocking bombshell was announced for CNN, with longtime anchor Don Lemon allegedly being let go without any forewarning at some point after he finished hosting Monday morning's telecast.

We’re living in a new era of news, which sees many viewers opting for content from sources that aren’t necessarily cable news networks. One of the side effects of this is that ratings for cable TV news have seen a decline compared to those of the election year. However, some entertainment entities are managing to remain afloat. Fox News, for instance, is not only surviving but seemingly thriving, as the network has as few things to celebrate as it heads into September.

In the midst of dwindling cable television viewership numbers, Fox News managed to become the top-rated cable network during August of 2021. Deadline reports that the network garnered 2.47 million viewers in the primetime arena while, in the total day category, it averaged a total of 1.42 million viewers. The network is also edging out competitors CNN and MSNBC in the 25-54 demographic, holding an average of 394,000 viewers.

Additionally, Fox News currently houses the top five cable news shows in Tucker Carlson Tonight (3.3 million), The Five (3.11 million), Hannity (3 million), The Ingraham Angle (2.39 million) and Special Report with Bret Baier (2.19 million). New show Gutfeld! has also averaged 1.7 million viewers, with 312,000 of those views coming from the 25-54 demographic. With this, the show managed to maintain its dominance in the 11 p.m. hour.

It should be noted that many of Fox News’ viewership numbers do stil represent declines compared to the numbers from August 2020. But as the trade points out, this was to be expected, considering the network’s immense coverage of the 2020 U.S. Presidential Election at the time. And of course, the political conventions should also be taken into account.

As a whole, 2021 has been relatively fruitful for Fox News. Shows like Tucker Carlson Tonight have managed to bring in significant ratings at other points within the past year. Interestingly enough, the network has had a few talent changes behind the scenes. Fox & Friends said goodbye to Jedediah Bila, while The Five also lost a TV vet. Nevertheless, it would appear that viewers haven’t been deterred by any creative changes.

These recent numbers mark a bit of good news for the cable news network, which recently experienced a scare. Last month, an entire floor at Fox News’ New York office had to be evacuated after one of the hosts apparently received a small package containing a white powdery substance. Thankfully, it was found to be non-hazardous, and employees were eventually given the green light to return to the building.

As the year goes on, it’ll be interesting to see how Fox News continues to fare in the ratings. We’ll also be checking to see if cable news in general manages to rebound.

As he builds something of an entertainment empire across a variety of different TV networks and streaming services, Seth MacFarlane long ago became known for more than "only" being the creator of Fox's long-running hit Family Guy. And while its success was definitely his springboard to bigger fame, Fox and Family Guy definitely need MacFarlane more than he needs animated series and its home. Which means there may be some potential foreshadowing involved with MacFarlane's recent social media post that joked about his burgeoning relationship with NBC while taking shots at Fox News and Tucker Carlson.

There isn't much mystery behind how Seth MacFarlane feels about Fox News' reporting, nor its biggest star Tucker Carlson, as he's taken to social media with such complaints in the past. But in one of his latest tweets, he explicitly states his wish for Family Guy to have another home beyond Fox, and then jokes(?) about cheating on the network with NBC. Could the following post actually lead to any big changes, though?

While the Twitter message obviously doesn't indicate that Seth MacFarlane is officially attempting to take Family Guy from Fox to another network or streaming service, it certainly indicates his displeasure being on the same channel that shares its name with the home of Tucker Carlson Tonight. The current affairs and opinion-driven series' host has been under fire recently for his anti-vaccination claims and segments, and MacFarlane is apparently ready to break up with his longtime TV spouse over it all. But could it actually happen?

Why Family Guy Could Theoretically Leave Fox

When 2020 began, Seth MacFarlane signed a five-year, nine-figure overall production deal with NBCUniversal, shifting him away from the 20th Century Fox TV deal he'd maintained for years and years. Since then, he's set up several different projects with the studio, including the Bill Nye-hosted disaster pitch The End Is Nye, the sci-fi drama Skywatch, reboots of Smokey and the Bandit and Revenge of the Nerds and a TV adaptation of his hit film Ted, among others. So theoretically, if the right execs put their signatures to the right pieces of paper, it's possible that MacFarlane could shift his ribald animated series over to Peacock whenever it's contractually possible.

Plus, Family Guy isn't exactly a massive ratings earner for Fox on Sunday nights, despite being a huge boon for Hulu and reruns in syndication. (Not that it does terribly, mind you.) Of course, it's definitely assumed that Fox would aim to get as much financial compensation as possible for any kind of Family Guy trade-off, accounting for both streaming deals and merchandising. One doesn't simply let a cash cow wander off just because the farmer is angry with his field, after all.

Why Family Guy Likely Won't Leave Fox

All that said, the possibility of Seth MacFarlane making all the right moves to flip Family Guy from Fox to NBC is a tiny one at best, for all the most obvious reasons. Considering the animated comedy seems to have as much longevity as its Sunday night cohort The Simpsons, Fox likely wouldn't ever want to give up the rights, even if the show's creator asked super-kindly. I'd think that MacFarlane would just opt out of renewing his contract if push came to shove, with Fox not being super-eager to let the series stray. But with The Orville Season 3 still on the way at Hulu, it's unclear if any Fox/Disney feuding might hamper its Season 4 chances.

It's also worth noting here that Family Guy's pact with 20th Century TV technically doesn't have anything to do with Tucker Carlson and the rest of the Fox News squad. Disney's 20th Century Fox buyout a couple of years ago split the news network off with Fox Business, Fox Sports, and the Fox Broadcasting Company, while Family Guy's actual production company is run by Disney. So while this wouldn't necessarily be a major obstacle for the animated series in switching homes, it does make Seth MacFarlane's initial complaint feel slightly off-base.

In the end, Family Guy definitely isn't going anywhere anytime soon, as it already has its Season 19 premiere date set on Fox for Sunday, September 26, at 9:00 p.m. ET. Check out all the other awesome shows hitting the 2021 Fall TV schedule soon!

Fox News’ Tucker Carlson Tonight won the ratings battle in April. The network’s most popular show averaged more than three million viewers across the month during its 8 PM timeslot, which was good enough to best all of its primetime cable news competitors. The larger picture, however, isn’t quite so good for cable news in general as ratings have fallen considerably, likely for a combination of reasons.

According to Forbes, Tucker Carlson averaged just over three million viewers per episode during April. That’s well off the five million plus numbers he was putting up last year in the lead up to the election, but it was still enough to comfortably beat all other primetime cable news programs. The next most popular offerings were Fox’s The Five, Fox’s Hannity and The Rachel Maddow Show on MSNBC, all of which averaged 2.7M viewers during the same period.

Why exactly cable news ratings are down so much is unclear, though there are several different factors likely playing some part in the slide. First, ratings for cable news traditionally grows during the lead up to a Presidential Election, which took place in November. Most people assumed numbers would slowly sag afterwards. Second, while there’s always news to cover, President Biden doesn’t offer quite the same level of constant interest as President Trump did. It’s no secret the former Apprentice host was a strong draw for cable news, Lastly, it’s likely more people getting vaccinated and moving about is having an effect on people’s viewing habits, as well.

Across all of primetime, Fox News averaged 2.2M viewers, which put it well ahead of MSNBC (1.6M) and CNN (1.0M). Those numbers represent a dip of more than twenty percent for each network compared with April of 2020. Exactly where the ratings will go from here is anyone’s guess. Fox News continues to face competition on the right from recent upstarts OANN, while both MSNBC (which has had some ratings wins over the past few years) and CNN are continuing to figure out how to position themselves in the market covering President Biden rather than President Trump.

Cable news ratings are about a whole lot more than the presentation of a specific show. There are many viewers who watch all primetime programming on a single network, and what’s going on in the world can often be the single biggest ratings driver. That being said, having the right host in the right timeslot is important, and over the past few years, it has been clear that certain hosts (Tucker Carlson, Rachel Maddow, etc) are consistently performing better than their counterparts on the same network.

Fox News recently gave The Five star Greg Gutfeld his own program (Gutfeld!) which averaged 1.5M viewers and beat its competitors on MSNBC and CNN. It’s very likely we could see some tinkering in response by the other networks, as well as a possible shakeup in some timeslots to better compete with Fox News in primetime. We’ll just have to see how things develop over the next few months.

When it was announced that the Royal Family rebels Meghan Markle and Prince Harry were tapped for a marquee TV interview with Oprah Winfrey, it's unlikely that anyone could have imagined exactly how the aftermath would play out. Arguably the biggest amount of hubbub surrounded UK journalist Piers Morgan's complaint-inspiring criticism of Markle's claims of feeling suicidal, among other things. Though his comments quickly resulted in Morgan walking off Good Morning Britain, as well as igniting a massive viewer backlash, the TV personality doesn't appear to be changing course in his first interview since making the original comments.

Piers Morgan appeared on Fox Nation's Tucker Carlson Today opposite one of the shining stars in the Fox News organization. To be expected, Carlson wasn't pushing Morgan to make any grand apologies during his video interview, and the Daily Mail editor-at-large wasn't offering any. Rather, he doubled down on several of his claims and judgment calls about Meghan Markle's allegations of racism within the monarchy, though he did offer some clarification for where he thinks the Duchess' suicidal thoughts story rings false. In his words:

During the interview with Oprah Winfrey, Meghan Markle claimed that she'd had suicidal urges during her pregnancy with her and Prince Harry's son, Archie. She stated that – basically as Piers Morgan put it – when she sought out help from higher-ups in the family, she was denied mental healthcare because of how it might reflect on the establishment. A lot of those feelings reportedly stemmed from the way Markle felt as if she had little control over her own life while part of the inner circle.

According to Piers Morgan, his comments were treated in such a way that he felt as if he wasn't even entitled to have an opinion on the matter. Never mind that those opinions elicited over 57,000 complaints to the broadcasting regulator Ofcom, which set a record for the most complaints filed about a singular incident. Still, Morgan claimed on Tucker Carlson Today that he maintained "universal support" of the British people.

Elsewhere in the Tucker Carlson interview, Piers Morgan also challenged the idea implied during Meghan Markle's Oprah interview that Queen Elizabeth II is inherently racist. Morgan noted that regardless of whether or not people like the Queen and her policies, he thinks most would agree that there's a certain amount of dignity and respect she commands, which is why he took such issue with derogatory claims made about her, which the Royal Family was said to be looking deeper into. In his words:

If the Daily Mail headline-maker has proven anything in his career, it's that he doesn't back down when pushed up against a wall, and audiences almost definitely haven't heard the last from him about Meghan Markle and Prince Harry. Especially now that his friend and fellow former TV host Sharon Osbourne made her own TV exit from The View after her initial defense of Morgan led to a row with co-host Sheryl Underwood, which then sparked claims that she'd used racial slurs and other controversial language with past co-hosts such as Julie Chen and Sara Gilbert. Perhaps they'll start a new show together.

Fox News as well as two of its biggest names and one recently-fired anchor have been hit with a lawsuit, filed by former Fox Business associate producer Jennifer Eckhart and occasional Fox News guest Cathy Areu. In the lawsuit, former anchor Ed Henry is accused of rape, while Tucker Carlson and Sean Hannity (who are still two of the biggest names at the network) stand accused of sexual haramment.

The lawsuit, which was co-filed by Jennifer Eckhart and Cathy Areu, opens with allegations against Fox News that the network “consistently accepted and rewarded” instances of sexual harassment and misconduct that is “actually worse” than under Roger Ailes, who resigned as Fox News CEO in 2016 after accusations of sexual harassment. The specific allegations against former and current Fox News personalities begin with Jennifer Eckhart’s claims against Ed Henry.

Jennifer Eckhart, who is identified as the person whose report against Ed Henry is what led to his termination from Fox News, accuses Ed Henry of abusing his power over her and her career from the age of 24, asking her to be his “little whore” and “sex slave,” and threatening her if she did not fulfill his sexual demands, allegedly resulting in sexual assault on Fox News office property and Henry raping her in a hotel frequently used for the network's traveling employees.

According to the lawsuit, Jennifer Eckhart stated in “graphic in specific detail” to Fox News via counsel that she was raped while restrained, injured, and photographed while naked against her will. She supplied text messages that allegedly support her accusations against Ed Henry. The suit further claims that Fox News had been aware of sexual misconduct “as far back as early 2017” and his termination in early July was because the network was “on the precipice of a public relations nightmare.” A spokesperson for Fox News told us, "There were not sexual harassment claims against Ed Henry at FOX News prior to Jennifer Eckhart’s claim on June 25, 2020.”

Cathy Areu alleges that Ed Henry sexually harassed her with “a slew of wildly inappropriate sexual images and messages,” including photographs of male and female genitals and a video implying that sexual favors would result in job opportunities. Areu also accused Fox News anchors Sean Hannity, Tucker Carlson, Howard Kurtz, and Fox News contributor Gianno Caldwell of harassment.

The lawsuit states that Cathy Areu frequently appeared on Hannity, and alleges that her appearances on the show became significantly less frequent after an incident of harassment in March 2018. She alleges that Sean Hannity “threw $100 on the set desk” and started calling out for one of the men in the room to take her out for drinks while Areu was “hooked into” studio equipment that she couldn’t remove without the assistance of a stagehand.

Similarly, Cathy Areu claims that an incident of harassment by Tucker Carlson of Tucker Carlson Tonight resulted in her being reduced from regular appearances in 2018 to only a few in 2019 and none in 2020. She states in the lawsuit that she “had no choice but to comply” with Carlson’s request that she stay until the end of a broadcast, made on live TV while she was attached to her chair by her microphone. According to Areu, Carlson began “probing” to see whether she would participate in a sexual relationship and then “promptly retaliated” after she declined.

Furthermore, Cathy Areu alleges that Howard Kurtz of Fox News’ Media Buzz show refused to meet with her after she “politely declined” meeting him in his hotel room and subsequently appeared “approximately three times on Media Buzz” after her rejection of his advances. Additionally, Areu accused Fox News political analyst Gianno Caldwell of attempting to “coerce” her into dating him.

Fox News responded the the lawsuit in a statement (via Variety), calling Cathy Areu’s allegations “false, patently frivolous and utterly devoid of any merit” based on findings from “a comprehensive independent investigation conducted by an outside law firm,” then said:

While Ed Henry is not employed at Fox News, Sean Hannity and Tucker Carlson are two of the biggest names on the network at the time of writing. The statement suggests that Fox News stands by Hannity and Carlson, but only time will tell how much of an impact the lawsuit will or will not have at the network.

For now, you can find some current and upcoming viewing options on our 2020 summer TV premiere schedule and our 2020 fall TV premiere guide.

This weekend, Fox News accepted the resignation of key Tucker Carlson writer Blake Neff. Now the mega-popular network has followed up with a strongly word statement condemning his actions after it was discovered he used a pseudonym in an online forum to post hateful messages filled with racist, homophobic and misogynistic language and ideas.

The messages first came to light via a lengthy piece published by CNN. The writer allegedly posted on the forum under a handle honoring a Swedish King, and during his time there, he reportedly mocked and insulted a variety of religious and ethnic groups. The reaction from all involved was very swift. Blake Neff reportedly submitted his resignation letter. It was accepted by Fox News, and now we have a statement that was sent out to media partners yesterday. You can read it below…

There’s obviously a lot you can take out of this statement, but I think the key takeaway here is that Tucker Carlson will address the matter on his show on Monday. It was unclear earlier this weekend whether the matter would be quietly swept under the rug with Neff’s removal from the show assumed to be enough of a statement in and of itself. Since Carlson is going to address it, however, there’s now a lot of interest and chatter as to whether he will use the situation to simply address what happened with the writer himself or whether he will use it as a springboard to clarify his larger feelings on racism, sexism and homophobia. The larger conversation might make sense since his racial views have been the subject of much conversation in the past, particularly after he said the United States’ white supremacy problem was a “hoax.”

Over the past few years, Tucker Carlson’s ratings have soared since he took over first for Megyn Kelly and then for Bill O'Reilly. Earlier this year, he broke the record for the highest average ratings for a cable news program in history (more than 4.3M viewers). A strong case could also be made that he’s quickly surpassing Sean Hannity as the true face of the cable news giant. At this point, it’s unclear whether the resignation of Blake Neff and the conversation surrounding his departure will have any effect on the ratings itself, but some of that may depend on how he addresses the matter on his show Monday.

Tucker Carlson and Fox news are currently at the center of a lawsuit dealing with a unique premise. As the host of Tucker Carlson Tonight, is the longtime Fox News host responsible for presenting the news or for presenting commentary on the news? A new lawsuit is claiming slander, but Fox News’ lawyer Erin Murphy argues commentary is not a fact-based news medium.

Here’s what’s happening. Former Playboy model Karen McDougal previously made $150,000 from the National Enquirer after giving details of an affair she had with Donald Trump. What does this have to do with Fox News? After this story came to light McDougal was brought up on Tucker Carlson Tonight during a segment that also brought up Stormy Daniels. Per the lawsuit, Karen McDougal is claiming Tucker Carlson defamed her when he made a comment about facts earlier in the broadcast and then made the following comment:

Erin Murphy’s argument is pretty simple as she detailed in court (via THR) the series is not presenting facts and is rather trying to promote conversation and debate around facts. She said Tucker Carlson Tonight is engineered to make people “think harder,” also noting:

Per the Fox News legal team, Tucker Carlson was not acting with “malice” when he made the comment and unless “malice” can be proven, the former Playboy model has no case. Meanwhile McDougal’s legal team argued a tweet from Donald Trump about Tucker Carlson’s book indicates they have a previous relationship and that he would have a reason to "slander" McDougal.

According to reports, the Fox News lawyer said even if that were true, that doesn’t reach the actual malice standard. So far, judge Mary Kay Vyskocol has taken the matter under submission. Ultimately the case will have to decide whether Tucker Carlson is presenting the news or commentary, however, which could have ramifications for other programs of this ilk down the line. Meanwhile the lawsuit has had no effect on Tucker Carlson’s popularity on the airwaves. The Fox news program was the first place finisher last week, averaging four million total viewers. He’s the most watched personality in the cable news cycle followed by Hannity, which averaged 3.9 million viewers an episode. The Ingraham Angle came in third during the week of June 8 to June 14.

Karen McDougal had also sued American Median Inc., who owns the National Enquirer, so she could talk about the affair back in 2018. Tucker Carlson has dealt with losing advertisers recently due to comments made about the Black Lives Matter movement, with outlets like T-Mobile and the Walt Disney Company pulling out.

Almost three years after she left the network, Megyn Kelly is headed back to Fox News. The former host of The Kelly File will make a return on the channel in a special interview that will air on Tucker Carlson Tonight. The interview will be Kelly's first television interview she's done in quite a while. Is this a tease that she may be headed back to her former news channel in a more permanent capacity?

It's hard to say for sure, though it is worth noting that Megyn Kelly's interview does not seemed to be linked to any announcement about rejoining the network. Tucker Carlson teased the interview, which will air on Wednesday, October 16, will be her first television interview since leaving NBC after controversial remarks she made in regards to blackface. Based on Carlson's announcement, it appears the scope of the interview will cover Kelly's time on NBC.

Megyn Kelly's return to the Fox News Channel has some speculating she could rejoin the network and possibly step in for the recently departed Shepard Smith. Deadline reported the network is denying those claims, and said that Kelly's interview was "coordinated weeks ago and is a one time occurrence." The statement went on further to say that any future decisions being made about its programming do not involve Kelly. According to Fox News, there's no reason for fans of Kelly to get excited anytime soon.

Still, it's hard to believe Fox News Channel isn't at least considering rehiring Megyn Kelly if she's willing to take an offer. Kelly turned down a lot of money from the network to head over to NBC, so clearly her presence had value. Kelly was initially replaced in primetime by Tucker Carlson, someone she called a friend on social media. Carlson might be someone Kelly considers a confidant, and someone who will give her a chance to give her view of her time at NBC.

As far as other things Megyn Kelly and Tucker Carlson may discuss, the two may broach the topic of Charlize Theron playing Kelly on the big screen in the movie Bombshell. The movie centers on the controversy of former Fox News Channel CEO Roger Ailes, in which Megyn Kelly and other women on the network were allegedly subjected to unwanted sexual advances from Ailes. Kelly later wrote about the events in her book Settle For More and mentioned the network once asked her to defend Ailes when other allegations surfaced.

Former Fox News Employee Is Suing Showtime Over Roger Ailes Miniseries

Tucker Carlson Tonight airs on the Fox News Channel weekdays at 8:00 p.m. ET. Do you think Megyn Kelly will return to the network with a new show? Sound off in our poll and be sure to stick with CinemaBlend for all the biggest news in television and movies.

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With Bill O' Reilly officially out of the Fox News family, Tucker Carlson has slipped into his nightly 8 p.m. slot. Last night was Carlson's first night in O'Reilly's time slot and many, I'm sure, are curious as to whether Carlson could fill the shoes of Fox's longtime heavyweight anchor. Here's what we know about Tucker Carlson's first night in the new role and how many tuned in to watch his debut.

Variety tells us that Monday's numbers for Tucker Carlson are actually quite solid. In fact, Carlson's first show in the 8 p.m. hour would gain more viewers than O'Reilly in the network's desired 25-54 demographic. Despite his gain in a key demographic, his overall viewership of 3.2 million fell just short of Bill O'Reilly's last episode of The O'Reilly Factor's viewership number of 3.6 million. Even so, that's a pretty good showing for Carlson, who ended the night beating out rival news programming Anderson Cooper 360 and All In With Chris Hayes. Carlson also managed to beat out colleague Greg Gutfield who hosted the show in the week between O'Reilly's exit and Carlson's debut.

The switch was perhaps easier for Tucker Carlson than past moves, as his show, Tucker Carlson Tonight, only moved up an hour from its usual timeslot while Fox News' The Five moved into his old 9 p.m. slot. This will be the third time Carlson has been moved, as he had previously filled in for both Megyn Kelly and Greta Van Susteren upon their departures. In less than a year, Tucker Carlson began at 7 p.m. for Susteren, got promoted to 9 p.m. when Kelly left, and now he's in the prized spot at 8 p.m. with Bill O'Reilly out of the game. Moves like that appear to indicate Fox News is betting big on Carlson's success and future with the company.

That bet likely means a lot to Tucker Carlson considering Bill O'Reilly's legacy on Fox News. The O'Reilly Factor has been on the air since October 1996, and in those more than 20 years had a dominant presence as one of the top cable news programs out there. O'Reilly received his walking papers from the network a couple of weeks ago in response to long-standing allegations that accused him of sexual harassment. While O'Reilly is saddened that he was ousted from his show, I'm sure the rumored $25 million payout he received to leave helps dry any tears.

Will Tucker Carlson Tonight continue an upwards trajectory? It's hard to say, but if Carlson begins breaking Bill O'Reilly's viewership records you can expect some headlines. Be sure to keep track of what shows are safe and what is canceled via our renewal guide and find some new shows on our summer premiere schedule.

When Bill O'Reilly recently left Fox News to go on vacation, the longtime host was making headlines for The O'Reilly Factor's excellent recent ratings, as well as making many more headline over reports that he and network execs had paid off a series of women over the years who'd slapped O'Reilly with sexual harassment lawsuits. Last night, Rupert Murdoch was weighing the option to boot the popular conservative, and now it sounds like O'Reilly was not only fired, but that the moves are in motion to replace him, perhaps as early as next week.

The line is allegedly in the sand for Bill O'Reilly's big ousting from Fox News, where he's been a major force since 1996, when the network came into being. According to New York Magazine, discussions were being had Wednesday morning the best way to handle pulling the plug on The O'Reilly Factor and its host's network involvement, with the aim being to kick up as little dust as possible. One key decision to be made was reportedly whether or not to let him return from his vacation on April 24 to provide an official farewell to audiences, and while it's not entirely clear where things stand on that front, it appears his full-time duties as a Fox News voicebox are complete.

Gabriel Sherman, an editor with New York Magazine -- as well as a contributor to NBC News and MSNBC -- is where the news about Bill O'Reilly's replacement surfaced. And Sherman recently posted the following, indicating that Tucker Carlson would be the big man on Monday nights now.

An alleged copy of the internal memo that Rupert Murdoch allegedly shared with Fox News employees was posted on Twitter, seemingly confirming Bill O'Reilly's firing.

Much as paying off someone to settle a lawsuit is an indication of neither guilt nor innocence, Fox News' decision to excise Bill O'Reilly over his sexual harassment suits says nothing of the cases themselves or the details behind them. (O'Reilly, of course, has denied everything, basically blaming the women for trying to hurt him and his family.) What it does say, however, is Rupert Murdoch is probably sick of dealing with his high-profile employees facing multiple claims of sexual misconduct.

There will no doubt be much more to say about this situation in the coming days and week (and months and years), so stay tuned. And head to our midseason premiere schedule and our summer TV guide to catch up with all the non-news shows coming soon.

It took a very short time for Fox News to find a replacement for Megyn Kelly. The network gave Tucker Carlson the timeslot and he's had a few weeks to settle in. Now, new reports indicate that Tucker Carlson was probably a good choice. Actually, they indicate he was probably a great choice. The ratings are in and Tucker Carlson is nearly doubling the ratings of Megyn Kelly in the 9 p.m. ET timeslot.

The doubling of the ratings is in regards to the coveted 25-54 demographic, which advertisers prefer when marketing on cable and network TV. In that demographic, the show has bumped up from an average of 398,000 viewers to 775,000 viewers, according to The Hill. In total viewership---that is everyone watching the show, Tucker Carlson Tonight is averaging 3.73 million total viewers. That makes him more heavily watched than The Kelly File, which saw an average of 2.72 million people tune in during 2016.

Obviously, it should be noted that Tucker Carlson only has a few days under his belt. Those few days--January 11-22--are being compared to Megyn Kelly's entire run last year, so it's not exactly even comparison. In addition, hosts often get a pretty big bump during the first few weeks they are on the air. Still, it bodes well for Tucker Carlson Tonight that the numbers are up and not down.

If you know much about Fox News, you should know that it has been the highest-rated news network for a while. It does much better in Primetime and during other parts of the day than its most similar competitors, CNN and MSNBC. With that in mind, however, The Kelly File was the second-highest rated program on Fox News, following The O'Reilly Factor, so it's important to note that Tucker Carlson isn't just coming in and beating someone who was small potatoes. The Kelly File dominated, so the fact that Tucker Carlson Tonight is doing even better is an impressive feat.

Part of this could be happening because January has been a big month for politics, too. President Obama made his final address and prepared to leave the White House, and then Donald Trump was inaugurated. He has already made some big claims and signed plenty of executive orders. People are really interested in politics right now, and that may be translating in the ratings, among the other pros already listed in this article.

We'll have to wait and see how Tucker Carlson Tonight does over the next several months. I'm certainly interested in comparing the first year of Tucker Carlson Tonight to those Megyn Kelly averages, as it will give us a better scope of the news personality's popularity. Only time will tell. For now, you can tune in to Tucker Carlson Tonight on weeknights at 9 p.m. ET. To find out what else TV has coming up, take a look at our midseason TV premiere schedule.

It's only been a week since Megyn Kelly announced she would be leaving Fox News for NBC News, but things have been moving fast. Megyn Kelly's last day at the network was Friday, and before that even happened, Fox News had announced that its own Tucker Carlson would be taking over her time slot on week nights. If you are wondering what Kelly is thinking about the changes, she's been pretty open, and shared her feelings about the Tucker Carlson appointment.

Although it would be unlikely for Megyn Kelly to express her feelings if she were disgruntled about the appointment, her comments are more than just politely positive. In fact, she genuinely seems excited about the changeover, not that Fox News needed the Megyn Kelly stamp of approval to move forward. Still, it's always better when transition are pretty easy rather than hard. I think anyone who paid attention to Michael Strahan leaving Live with Kelly and Michael can understand why this sort of exit is better.

In fact, Megyn Kelly's transition has been incredibly smooth. She's stated she is leaving the network because the NBC News gig will enable her to spend more time with her family. In addition, she also had a heartfelt moment during her final episode on Fox News at the end of last week, noting that "night after night" the fans have welcomed her show into their homes and that she is grateful for the experience. Going out on a high note will hopefully assure that some of those viewers will move networks with her.

As for Tucker Carlson, he'll be moving timeslots tonight. So, if you are used to catching the man at 7 p.m. on Fox News, plan on staying up a little later on Monday night. He'll be moving into Megyn Kelly's 9 p.m. timeslot on the network tonight. So far, we don't know exactly when Megyn Kelly will be starting on NBC News, but we do know there are plans for her to potentially take on a daytime role at the new network. She's been a pretty big asset to nighttime TV, and we'll have to wait and see how that translates into daytime.

To find out what else is headed to TV at midseason, check out our upcoming premieres guide.

It's only taken a few days for Fox News to get its act together in the wake of Megyn Kelly deciding to leave the cable news network for NBC News. This morning, it was revealed that Megyn Kelly's very important 9 p.m. timesot has already been filled by none other than Tucker Carlson. Because Tucker Carlson already has a show at 7 p.m. on Fox News, there's going to be some other shuffling in the network's schedule, as well, with Martha MacCallum being the big winner.

There have been quite a few names that have been bandied about in the days following Megyn Kelly's big announcement. A lot of people thought that Fox News might try to fill the 9 p.m. slot with another female host, but there was never any real indication that was what Fox News was looking for. The 9 p.m. slot is a huge timeslot for Fox News, so clearly the network was looking for "a name" to take it over. Tucker Carlson, a former CNN Crossfire co-host, is certainly more of a name than a lot of other people at the news network. Still, his promotion to 9 p.m. came crazy fast.

The NY Times reports that Tucker Carlson will be sliding into the 9 p.m. timeslot soon, but that the promotion to 9 p.m. is a big deal, as Carlson only took over the 7 p.m. timeslot on November 16, replacing Greta Van Susteren at the network. His show, Tucker Carlson Tonight, is getting a pretty swift promotion, but Fox News is in the middle of a lot of shuffling thanks to the exits of Van Susteren and Megyn Kelly, not to mention Roger Ailes on the network's back end. Plus, Tucker Carlson's ratings have been quite good, with Tucker Carlson Tonight beating rival news networks in the ratings. That's not a bad place to be in with so many changes going on.

Because Tucker Carlson will already be exiting the 7 p.m. timeslot, Fox News has that slot to fill, as well. Reports indicate that Martha MacCallum is going to take over that timeslot, although her deal is not longterm at this juncture. Right now, she's only signed on for the 100 days after Trump's inauguration. Obviously, if her ratings are good we would expect that to change. Currently MacCallum co-anchors another Fox News program America's Newsroom, although that program is a daytime show and not an evening one.

There's a lot changing in the world of TV news right now, and not just on Fox News. Megyn Kelly is heading to NBC News just a short time after Billy Bush was also fired from that network. The times, they are a changin'.

We'll let you know as soon as we get official dates for when Tucker Carlson and Martha MacCallum will be taking over. In the meantime, Megyn Kelly's last day on the network will be Friday, January 6. To find out what else is headed to TV, check out our TV premiere schedule.