Megyn Kelly shocked the media industry when she announced she would ditch Fox News and head to NBC. “The Kelly File” is regularly among the most-watched shows on cable news. So who will replace her at 9 p.m. on Fox News? Here are 11 candidates to fit in between Bill O’Reilly and Sean Hannity.
Sandra Smith
The “Outnumbered” co-host is a frequent fill-in and beat both CNN and MSNBC combined in viewers while replacing Kelly the final week of 2016.
Tucker Carlson
“Tucker Carlson Tonight” has been a hit in the 7 p.m. ET timeslot, so perhaps Fox News will move him to 9 p.m. and look for someone else earlier in the nightly lineup.
Trish Regan
Regan has filled in admirably for Kelly in the past and would bring a finance and business skill set to Fox News’ primetime lineup.
Tomi Lahren
The conservative commentator is a rising star on TheBlaze and it’s only a matter of time until she lands on a major cable news network.
Laura Ingraham
The conservative political commentator and radio host would fit in nicely before Sean Hannity on a nightly basis.
Jesse Watters
The “Watters’ World” star parlayed his segment on “The O’Reilly Factor” into his own weekend show. Perhaps the fan favorite is ready for a weeknight show that comes on directly after his mentor, Bill O’Reilly.
Kimberly Guilfoyle
‘The Five” co-host recently spent time filling in for “Hannity” and was able to dominate CNN and MSNBC among viewers while doing so. Guilfoyle has ties to the Trump administration and would be an asset for Fox News in a primetime role.
Judge Jeanine Pirro
The “Justice with Judge Jeanine” namesake has a hit Saturday night show on Fox News, so perhaps the network will slide her into the primetime weekday lineup.
Eric Bolling
Bolling is another co-host from “The Five” who has shown the ability to anchor a primetime show, as he is a frequent replacement host when Bill O’Reilly needs some time off.
Martha MacCallum
Martha MacCallum currently hosts “America’s Newsroom” with Bill Hemmer. Kelly’s co-host before landing her own show was … Hemmer. Perhaps Fox brass will stick to a proven formula.
Shannon Bream
The Washington, D.C.-based correspondent is a fan favorite and fills in for a variety of programs on the network.
