Fox News announced that its most popular host, Tucker Carlson, has departed from the network Monday after seven years of hosting its prime-time 8 p.m. slot.
Carlson was the highest-rated prime-time host on the network for several years, with his show starting in 2016. His departure leaves a significant gap in Fox News's lineup, with Fox News announcing that it would rely on a rotating group of hosts to occupy Carlson's slot until they find a replacement.
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Here are some of the top candidates who could replace him.
Jesse Waters
Waters, 44, became the host of Jesse Watters Primetime in January 2022, which now occupies Fox's 7 p.m. slot. He is also a co-host of The Five, which occupies the 5 p.m. time slot.
The longtime Fox News contributor originally made a name for himself through his man-on-the-street interviews. Jesse Waters Primetime is the fourth-most popular show on Fox News and 83rd overall on TV, with over 2 million people routinely watching his show, USTVBD reported.
Watters was floated as a potential replacement, a source familiar with the matter said.
Laura Ingraham
Ingraham, 59, hosts The Ingraham Angle, which occupies the 10 p.m. time slot. She started her career as a host with MSNBC before joining Fox News in 2008. She started hosting her current show in October 2017.
Ingraham is known for her ideological similarity to Carlson and her outspoken approach to commentary. Like Carlson, she has roused a fair amount of controversy during her tenure.
Her current show is the sixth-most popular on Fox and 90th overall on TV, usually drawing over 2 million viewers per night.
Sean Hannity
Hannity, 61, hosts Hannity, which occupies the 9 p.m. time slot. His show, which he has hosted since 2009, is the third-most popular on Fox News and 64th overall on TV.
Like Carlson, Hannity is known for his "provocative" approach to political commentary and his similar ideological views. His long tenure on Fox News and popularity make him a likely contender for Carlson's coveted time slot.
Maria Bartiromo
Bartiromo, 55, anchors Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo on weekends at 10 a.m. on the Fox Business Network. The show is the ninth-most popular on Fox News and 106th overall on TV. She also hosts Maria Bartiromo's Wall Street, a weekly program.
Bartiromo was known for her economic coverage before becoming a major supporter of former President Donald Trump during his presidency, which increased her profile among conservatives.
Greg Gutfeld
Gutfeld, 58, hosts the late-night talk show Gutfeld! at 11 p.m. The longtime comedic contributor has found his element as the talk show host, routinely besting his other late-night rivals in ratings. In mid-February, Gutfeld's show was the sixth-most-watched cable news program: He had 2.2 million viewers, as well as 376,000 viewers between the ages of 25 to 54, according to cable news ratings. He also serves as a co-host on The Five.
His besting of late-night rivals such as Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, and Stephen Colbert led to him buying his own Super Bowl ad, where he declared himself the "King of Late Night."
Gutfeld differs somewhat from Carlson ideologically — the comedian leans conservative but describes himself as a libertarian, which would be different from the type of commentary Carlson's viewership might expect. However, his ability to entertain could keep ratings up, making him a possible contender.
Brian Kilmeade
Kilmeade, 59, serves as a co-host on FOX & Friends alongside Steve Doocy and Ainsley Earhardt, which airs from 6-9 a.m. He also hosts the Saturday 8-9 p.m. show One Nation with Brian Kilmeade.
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Fox and Friends is the 11th-most popular show on Fox News and 113th overall on TV, regularly drawing in around 1.5 million viewers. He is known for his outspoken commentary on conservative topics.
Notably, Carlson was a host on Fox and Friends Weekend before being transferred to his prime-time slot. Kilmeade may also follow Carlson's trajectory.