Emily Compagno Lands Full-Time Seat on Fox News’ ‘The Five’ in Major Lineup Shakeup

Fox News is making a major change to one of cable television’s most successful programs, officially naming Emily Compagno as a full-time co-host of “The Five” beginning Sept. 8.

Compagno will take a permanent seat alongside Greg Gutfeld, Dana Perino and Jesse Watters. Harold Ford Jr. and Jessica Tarlov will continue rotating in the program’s liberal seat, maintaining the political back-and-forth that has become central to the show’s format.

The promotion moves Compagno from “Outnumbered,” where she has served as a co-host since 2021. Fox News plans to use a rotating group of network personalities in her former seat until the network chooses a permanent replacement.

Fox News Media CEO Suzanne Scott praised Compagno as an accomplished host whose “energy and talent” have helped make her a standout personality across the network. Compagno said she was honored to receive a permanent position on a program she described as “the most fun show on television.”

The move places Compagno on one of the most valuable programs in cable news. “The Five” averaged approximately 3.6 million viewers during the second quarter of 2026, including 322,000 viewers in the advertiser-coveted 25-to-54 demographic.

The program has also reportedly finished as cable news’ highest-rated show for 19 consecutive quarters. “The Five” celebrated its 15th anniversary in July, having grown from an unconventional afternoon panel show into one of Fox News’ biggest ratings successes.

Compagno has been with Fox News since 2018, initially joining the network as a contributor before becoming a regular presence across its programming. Her appearances on “The Five” over the years have already made her familiar to the program’s audience, making the permanent assignment a natural expansion of her role.

Before entering television, Compagno built an extensive legal career. She practiced criminal defense and civil litigation before working for the Social Security Administration as a federal managing attorney and acting director. She also served as a judicial extern for the late Judge John T. Noonan of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Compagno additionally worked in legal positions in South Africa and Brazil. 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 has also expanded into publishing, authoring “Under His Wings” through Fox News Books. The book debuted at No. 1 on both Amazon and the New York Times bestseller list during its first week.

Compagno’s promotion gives Fox News another established conservative voice in the permanent lineup while leaving the network with a new decision to make about “Outnumbered.” For Compagno, however, the shakeup represents a significant promotion — moving her into a permanent position on the network’s most-watched program beginning Sept. 8.