Emily Compagno is moving into a permanent seat on Fox News’ “The Five,” joining one of the network’s highest-profile programs after years as a familiar presence across its lineup.
Fox News announced Monday that Compagno will officially begin her new role on Sept. 8. She will sit alongside Greg Gutfeld, Dana Perino and Jesse Watters, while Jessica Tarlov and Harold Ford Jr. will continue rotating in the program’s liberal seat.
The promotion means Compagno will leave “Outnumbered,” which she has co-hosted since 2021. Fox News personalities will rotate through her old position while the network searches for a permanent replacement.
Her move to “The Five” fills the vacancy created when Jeanine Pirro left the program last year to become U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia.
Such an honour 🙏🏻🇺🇸❤️ see you @TheFive pic.twitter.com/P01emIx6Lh
— EMILY COMPAGNO FG (@Rose_comp) August 24, 2026
Fox News CEO Suzanne Scott said Compagno’s work across the network made her a natural choice for the opening.
“Emily is a highly accomplished host whose energy and talent have made her a standout across FOX News Media, and we are thrilled to officially welcome her to the show,” Scott said.
Compagno is joining a program that already occupies a commanding position in the cable news ratings.
“The Five” averaged 3.6 million total viewers during the second quarter of 2026, according to Nielsen data released by Fox News. The program also captured more than 64 percent of the cable news audience during its 5 p.m. Eastern time slot.
Compagno’s promotion comes eight years after she first joined Fox News as a contributor in 2018. She moved into a regular role on “Outnumbered” three years later.
Her résumé before television was considerably different.
Compagno practiced law in criminal defense and civil litigation and later worked for the Social Security Administration as a federal managing attorney and acting director. She also served as a senior judicial extern for the late Judge John T. Noonan of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
The Bay Area native also has an NFL connection. Compagno previously served as captain of the Oakland Raiders cheerleading squad and later represented the league as an ambassador, including during visits with American troops overseas.
She added bestselling author to her résumé in 2024 with “Under His Wings,” published by Fox News Books. The book focuses on faith and the experiences of American service members.
Compagno marked the announcement on social media with a brief reaction: “Such an honour.”
Congratulations quickly followed from viewers, friends and colleagues. Some were straightforward. Others were already looking forward to what her arrival could mean for the famously argumentative roundtable.
“Congrats! This is awesome, NOW be meaner to Jessica!” one commenter wrote, referring to Tarlov.
Congrats! This is awesome, NOW be meaner to Jessica!
— Jennifer (@blakeJennifer24) August 24, 2026
Compagno now moves from the midday “Outnumbered” panel to a permanent place at the table on “The Five,” with her first show as an official co-host scheduled for Sept. 8.
