Jillian Mele is leaving “Fox & Friends First” to pursue her MBA. Carley Shimkus will replace Mele as Todd Piro’s co-host.
“Fox & Friends First” is the lead-in to “Fox & Friends.” “First” airs from 4 a.m. to 6 a.m. on Fox News Channel (FNC).
Shimkus, who has been serving as a reporter for “Fox News Headlines 24/7,” will take over on Monday. She has also been used as a substitute anchor across Fox News shows and as a co-host on streaming service Fox Nation.
An emotional Mele made the announcement on Friday’s show.
“Today is my last day here at Fox News,” she said. “This has been the most difficult decision I’ve ever made in my life.”
Mele joked that she was going to “sleep past 1 a.m. for the first time in 15 years.”
“I tried not to cry,” Mele said.
Well, that was a fail, but her farewell was not. Midway through Mele’s sweet signoff, “Fox & Friends First” rolled a highlight reel of her time as co-host. That probably did not shut down the waterworks. Piro was not immune to all the feels.
Watch all that that via the video at the bottom of this post.
“Carley brings great experience to this role developed over nearly a decade at Fox News Media and we are excited to have her join ‘Fox & Friends First,’” Gavin Hadden, FNC’s vice president of morning programming, said in a statement on Friday. “We wish Jillian all the best as she returns home to Philadelphia and thank her for her outstanding contribution and dedication to the ‘Fox & Friends’ franchise.”
“I look forward to bringing the news to America each morning alongside my colleague Todd Piro,” Shimkus added. “The ‘Fox & Friends’ franchise has been the leader in morning television for nearly 20 years and I feel fortunate to be a part of this incredible team.”
“Fox & Friends First” is the No. 1 cable news show its time slot — and even beyond, in certain instances — according to Nielsen.