Fox News is making a major change to the lineup of its highest-rated program, filling a permanent seat that has been vacant for more than a year.
The move also means one familiar Fox personality will be leaving her longtime position on another popular daytime program.
Emily Compagno has been named a full-time co-host of The Five and will officially join the permanent lineup beginning September 8, Fox News announced.
Compagno will join Greg Gutfeld, Dana Perino, and Jesse Watters, while Harold Ford Jr. and Jessica Tarlov will continue sharing the program’s rotating liberal seat.
The move should be familiar to viewers because Compagno has regularly appeared on The Five as a rotating co-host.
She will fill the permanent seat previously occupied by Jeanine Pirro, who left Fox News in May 2025 and later became U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia.
Compagno’s promotion also means she will leave Outnumbered, where she has served as a co-host since 2021.
Fox has not yet selected her permanent replacement, saying rotating Fox News personalities will occupy the seat until a new co-host is named.
Fox News Media CEO Suzanne Scott praised Compagno while announcing the decision.
“Fifteen years later, The Five remains a powerhouse and appointment viewing for millions of Americans,” Scott said.
“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.”
Compagno said she was honored to officially become part of a program she has frequently joined over the years.
“I couldn’t be more honored to join The Five, a team I have long admired and have been fortunate to work alongside over the years,” Compagno said.
“Having an official seat at the table on what I truly believe is the most fun show on television is an incredible privilege.”
Compagno’s promotion comes as The Five continues posting enormous ratings for Fox News.
The program celebrated its 15th anniversary in July and averaged 3.6 million viewers during the second quarter of 2026, according to Fox.
It also averaged 322,000 viewers in the coveted 25-to-54 demographic and recorded its 19th consecutive quarter as the highest-rated program in cable news.
Fox says The Five commands more than 64 percent of the cable news audience during its time slot and regularly competes with highly rated entertainment programming on broadcast television.
Compagno initially joined Fox News as a contributor in 2018 before becoming a permanent Outnumbered co-host three years later.
Before entering television, she practiced criminal defense and civil litigation and later worked as a federal managing attorney and acting director at the Social Security Administration.
Compagno also worked as a judicial extern for Judge John T. Noonan on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and held legal positions internationally.
Before her legal and television careers, she served as captain of the Oakland Raiders cheerleading squad and was selected as an NFL ambassador, including participating in a USO tour visiting American troops in Iraq and Kuwait.
She is also the author of Under His Wings, which debuted atop Amazon and The New York Times bestseller list.
Compagno will now move from Fox’s daytime lineup into one of the most prominent positions at the network, Fox News reported.
.@TheFive has named @EmilyCompagno a full-time host. She will officially join the program beginning Sept 8th alongside @greggutfeld @DanaPerino @JesseBWatters as well as the rotating liberal seat featuring @HaroldFordJr and @JessicaTarlov.
More:https://t.co/aKHQ0gfN3D pic.twitter.com/lTdizND7md— johnny dollar (@johnnydollar) August 24, 2026
“The Five” just got even better! 🎉 Join us in congratulating @EmilyCompagno as she officially joins the show as a permanent co-host! Don’t worry, @JesseBWatters your seat is safe! 😂 Welcome to the family, Emily! ❤️ pic.twitter.com/EdyAXXEp76
— The Five (@TheFive) August 24, 2026
And beginning September 8, the rotating role viewers have frequently seen her occupy on The Five becomes hers officially.
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