Emily Compagno will become a permanent co-host of “The Five” starting September 8.
Fox News Channel made the announcement Monday, August 24, confirming that Compagno will step into the seat vacated by Judge Jeanine Pirro. She will leave her current role on the midday program “Outnumbered” to join the top-rated panel show full time.
Fox News Media CEO Suzanne Scott delivered the news and described “The Five” as a program that “remains a powerhouse and appointment viewing for millions of Americans.” Scott praised Compagno’s energy, talent, and contributions across Fox News Media while formally welcoming her to the roster.
Compagno joins three longtime conservative co-hosts: Greg Gutfeld, Dana Perino, and Jesse Watters. Former Democratic Congressman Harold Ford Jr. and Democratic strategist Jessica Tarlov will continue rotating through the show’s liberal seat.
As originally reported, Pirro departed Fox News in May 2025 after President Donald Trump tapped her to serve as interim U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia. The Senate later confirmed her as the permanent U.S. attorney for Washington, D.C., in August 2025. Pirro had been a permanent co-host on “The Five” since January 2022, following 11 years hosting “Justice with Judge Jeanine.”
During the months between Pirro’s exit and this announcement, Fox filled her seat by rotating various network personalities through the chair. Compagno appeared frequently during that period, building a working chemistry with the show’s regular panelists. Her promotion now gives the program a settled fourth conservative voice heading into the final stretch of the 2026 midterm election cycle.
Her “Outnumbered” seat will be covered by rotating Fox News personalities while the network searches for a permanent replacement.
Compagno’s path to this role spans law, federal service, and broadcasting. She joined Fox News as a contributor and legal analyst in December 2018, became a permanent “Outnumbered” co-host in 2021, and has hosted multiple Fox Nation programs along with “The FOX True Crime Podcast with Emily Compagno.”
Her recent book, “Under His Wings,” debuted at number one on both Amazon and the New York Times bestseller list in its first week.
Before television, Compagno worked in criminal defense and civil litigation, then served as a federal managing attorney and acting director at the Social Security Administration. She holds a political science degree from the University of Washington and a law degree from the University of San Francisco School of Law.
Her background extends beyond the courtroom and the studio. Compagno served as captain of the Oakland Raiders cheerleading squad and traveled to Iraq and Kuwait on a USO tour to visit American troops.
She joins “The Five” on September 8.