Compagno has appeared frequently on The Five as a rotating co-host and has already become a familiar presence alongside Greg Gutfeld, Dana Perino, and Jesse Watters. Harold Ford Jr. and Jessica Tarlov will continue to rotate through the program’s liberal seat.
The newly announced role marks a major step for Compagno and brings an end to her tenure as a regular co-host of Outnumbered, the daytime program where she has held a permanent position since 2021.
Fox News has not yet announced who will take Compagno’s place on Outnumbered. Until the network chooses a permanent replacement, a number of Fox News personalities will reportedly rotate through the open position.
Compagno is taking over the seat once held by Pirro, who left Fox News in May 2025. Pirro later went on to become U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, leaving one of the network’s most recognizable shows with a vacancy that remained open for more than a year.
Suzanne Scott, CEO of Fox News Media, praised both the continued success of The Five and Compagno’s growing role at the network.
“Fifteen years later, The Five remains a powerhouse and appointment viewing for millions of Americans,” Scott said.
“Emily is a highly accomplished host whose energy and talent have made her a standout across FOX News Media, and we are thrilled to officially welcome her to the show.”
Compagno also expressed her excitement about officially joining a program she has spent years appearing on as a guest and rotating panelist.
“I couldn’t be more honored to join The Five, a team I have long admired and have been fortunate to work alongside over the years,” Compagno said.
“Having an official seat at the table on what I truly believe is the most fun show on television is an incredible privilege.”
The announcement comes as The Five continues to post massive numbers for Fox News.
The program marked its 15th anniversary in July and reportedly averaged 3.6 million viewers during the second quarter of 2026. It also averaged 322,000 viewers in the key 25-to-54 demographic.
According to Fox, the program has now finished as cable news’ highest-rated show for 19 consecutive quarters.
Those numbers underscore the significance of the decision to permanently fill Pirro’s former seat. The Five has become one of the most important franchises in cable television, consistently outperforming rival news programs and drawing a substantial share of the cable news audience during its time slot.
Fox says the program captures more than 64 percent of the cable news audience while it is on the air and has also found itself competing with major entertainment programming on broadcast television.
Compagno’s rise at the network follows a career that extends well beyond television.
She first joined Fox News as a contributor in 2018 before becoming a permanent co-host of Outnumbered three years later. Before entering the media world, Compagno built an extensive legal career that included criminal defense and civil litigation.
She also served as a federal managing attorney and acting director at the Social Security Administration.
Earlier in her career, Compagno worked as a judicial extern for Judge John T. Noonan on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and held legal positions involving international work.
Long before becoming a familiar face to millions of television viewers, however, Compagno also had another notable role: she served as captain of the Oakland Raiders cheerleading squad.
She was later selected as an NFL ambassador and participated in a USO tour that brought her to Iraq and Kuwait, where she visited American troops.
Compagno has also added author to her list of accomplishments. Her book, Under His Wings, reached the top of both Amazon and The New York Times bestseller lists.
Now, she is preparing for perhaps her most prominent role yet.
Beginning September 8, the seat Compagno has regularly occupied as a rotating presence will officially belong to her. After years of appearing across Fox News programming, the veteran host is moving from the daytime lineup into a permanent position on the network’s biggest cable news powerhouse.
For The Five viewers, the face at the table will be familiar.
The difference is that this time, Emily Compagno will not be filling in.
She will officially have a permanent seat.
