Fox News named Jesse Watters as Tucker Carlson’s primetime television replacement for the coveted 7 p.m. CT time slot.
The primetime television slot came open in late April when Fox News fired Tucker Carlson after a series of scandals rocked the network, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
Watters, who previously hosted Jesse Watters Primetime in the 6 p.m. slot since January of 2022, is a longtime Fox News star. He started working at the company in 2003 and made his first on-air appearances on Bill O’Reilly’s The O’Reilly Factor in 2004.
The commentator began hosting his own show in 2015, entitled Watters World. The show featured ambush-style journalism and humorous man-on-the-street interactions on a monthly basis. Watters also co-hosted and guest-hosted various Fox News shows and programming from 2015 until launching his primetime show in 2022.
Watters is also a successful author. Watters published How I Saved the World in 2021, which reached number one on The New York Times bestseller list in July of the same year.
Fox News has struggled with historically low ratings, a departure from decades of cable news dominance. Tucker Carlson was the number one rated host on primetime television and was personally popular with Fox News’ viewership. As of late May, Fox lost 37% of its primetime viewership year over year.
The company likely hopes Watters, who has also remained popular with Fox viewers over the past decades, can stop the network’s viewership hemorrhage. Touting the rearranged primetime lineup, Fox News CEO Suzanne Scott called Fox a “destination for news and analysis.”
“FOX News Channel has been America’s destination for news and analysis for more than 21 years and we are thrilled to debut a new lineup. The unique perspectives of Laura Ingraham, Jesse Watters, Sean Hannity, and Greg Gutfeld will ensure our viewers have access to unrivaled coverage from our best-in-class team for years to come,” said Scott.
