Cable news is no stranger to drama, but this week’s ratings bombshell has insiders spinning, viewers arguing, and executives scrambling to decide the future of Fox’s biggest hit.
The Nielsen numbers dropped like a hammer: Fox didn’t just dominate the charts—it obliterated the competition. And buried within the victory lap was a twist so shocking it has the industry buzzing.
Whispers now suggest Harold Ford Jr. is being lined up to permanently replace Jessica Tarlov on The Five. The chatter has ignited fury, celebration, and disbelief in equal measure. For some, it feels like the next logical step in Fox’s evolution. For others, it’s nothing less than a betrayal.
As one stunned Fox insider put it bluntly:
“Nobody saw this coming.”
The Ratings Earthquake That Changed Everything
Let’s start with the numbers.
Fox News didn’t just secure the top spot in cable news. It secured fourteen of the top fifteen programs. That’s not a victory—it’s an annihilation.
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The Ingraham Angle at #6.
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Hannity at #4.
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Gutfeld! at #3.
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And, towering over them all, The Five at #1.
The shock wasn’t just Fox’s clean sweep over CNN and MSNBC. It was what the data revealed about who’s driving Fox’s success—and who might be on the chopping block.
Social media lit up instantly. Some cheered, others fumed. The rumor that Jessica Tarlov could soon be out, replaced by Harold Ford Jr., turned the ratings report into a full-on cable news civil war.
The stakes? Nothing less than the identity of Fox’s crown jewel.
The Double Crown of Jesse Watters
At the heart of the shakeup stands Jesse Watters, the man critics once dismissed as a “Bill O’Reilly sidekick.”
Those critics are very, very quiet now.
For the first time in modern TV history, one host controls the top two shows on cable.
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The Five — #1.
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Jesse Watters Primetime — #2.
It’s a dominance so total that it catapults Watters into uncharted territory. He isn’t just a Fox star anymore. He’s Fox’s kingmaker.
And with that power comes influence. Insiders whisper that executives are reviewing every detail of the lineup. If The Five is the crown jewel, they want it polished until it blinds the competition.
Which is where Harold Ford Jr.—and the rumors of Jessica Tarlov’s removal—come in.
The Tarlov Question
Jessica Tarlov has been a fixture on The Five, serving as the liberal counterbalance to her conservative co-hosts. Love her or hate her, she’s become part of the show’s DNA.
But the whispers have been brutal.
Executives, sources say, are asking tough questions:
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Is Tarlov’s confrontational style helping the show—or holding it back?
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Does her role still reflect the direction Fox wants to go?
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With ratings at record highs, is now the time to swap personalities before complacency sets in?
For Tarlov’s supporters, the speculation feels like a betrayal. “She’s the spark that makes the show work,” one fan argued on X. But critics insist she’s the weak link, claiming her exchanges sometimes feel more irritating than enlightening.
And then there’s Harold Ford Jr.
Enter Harold Ford Jr.
Ford, the former Democratic congressman turned Fox contributor, has built his brand on calm, polished commentary. He doesn’t raise his voice. He doesn’t grandstand. Instead, he delivers measured takes that appeal to moderates and advertisers alike.
“He’s smooth. He’s credible. He doesn’t start fights—he ends them,” one insider said.
That style may be exactly what Fox wants for The Five’s next era. A shift from fiery clashes to sharper, smoother conversations.
And make no mistake: if Ford takes that chair permanently, it wouldn’t just change the chemistry of The Five. It could redefine how Fox balances its brand—keeping conservatives loyal while expanding its reach to swing viewers who find Tarlov too abrasive.
CNN and MSNBC: The Collapse
While Fox debates its future, its rivals are drowning.
CNN didn’t land a single show in the Top 15. Not one. For a network once hailed as the global leader in breaking news, the humiliation is staggering.
MSNBC fared little better, managing just a single slot.
The problem isn’t just ratings—it’s relevance. Polls show public trust in both networks has cratered. Meanwhile, Fox’s grip on its audience looks unshakable.
And then there’s Greg Gutfeld, whose late-night comedy experiment, Gutfeld!, now routinely trounces Colbert, Kimmel, and Fallon. The late-night elite laughed at him once. They’re not laughing anymore.
The message is clear: Fox isn’t just winning. It’s rewriting the rules.
The Bigger Power Play
So where does this leave Jessica Tarlov, Harold Ford Jr., and Fox’s future?
Behind closed doors, the conversations are fierce. Some executives argue that Tarlov is still essential—a foil who keeps the show spicy. Others insist Harold Ford Jr. could make The Five bulletproof, smoothing its edges while keeping the ratings juggernaut rolling.
For Jesse Watters, the outcome may matter more than anyone realizes. With two shows at the top, he suddenly wields influence that even Fox veterans can’t ignore. Insiders say his opinion could quietly tip the balance on who stays—and who goes.
And hanging over it all is the broader battle for cable supremacy. Fox owns the throne. But keeping it means constant reinvention, and no move is more symbolic—or more risky—than shaking up The Five.
The Verdict
The ratings victory was supposed to be a celebration. Instead, it’s turned into a battlefield.
Jessica Tarlov’s chair may be the most scrutinized seat in cable news. Harold Ford Jr. could be days away from the biggest promotion of his career. Jesse Watters has never been more powerful. And Fox executives know one wrong move could fracture the chemistry of their biggest hit.
For now, the whispers remain whispers. But if Harold Ford Jr. does replace Tarlov, it won’t just be the most shocking personnel change of the year.
It will be the boldest signal yet that Fox News isn’t content to dominate cable. It wants to reshape it.
And if that happens, the biggest ratings twist of 2025 may only be the beginning.
