American political commentary and conservative news television channel and website, Fox News, is one of the top-rated news channels in America. Launched on October 7, 1996, Fox News was created by Australian-born American billionaire media mogul Rupert Murdoch. From its onset, Fox News was created to appeal to a conservative audience.
Almost three decades later, Fox News is the most-watched cable news network in the United States. Over the years, besides its network’s growing popularity, Fox News has had several female news anchors that have helped boost the ratings of shows. These female news anchors have contributed as program hosts, co-hosts, correspondents, and guests. Appreciated for their beauty and remarkable talents, these are the 10 most popular female news anchors on Fox News Channel (FNC).
Dana Perino
Dana Perino is one of the powerhouse political commentators on Fox News. Perino joined Fox News in July 2011 and is one of the full-time hosts of the network’s panel talk show, The Five. Airing on weekdays at 5 PM ET, the one-hour show discusses political issues, current news stories, and pop culture. At the end of 2023, The Five was rated the most-watched cable news program. Before joining Fox News, Dana Perino was appointed by President Barack Obama as a member of the Broadcasting Board of Governors, now the United States Agency for Global Media (USAGM), on June 30, 2010. She served until December 31, 2012.
However, her most prominent appointment was under President George W. Bush. Dana Perino was first appointed White House Deputy Press Secretary in 2005 and served until September 14, 2007, when she was appointed the 26th White House Press Secretary. As the 26th White House Press Secretary, Dana Perino became the second woman after Dee Dee Myers (who served under President Bill Clinton) to hold the position. Back to Fox News, Dana Perino is also the co-host of the hard news program America’s Newsroom. She anchors the show with Bill Hemmer.
Jeanine Pirro
Besides being a Fox News Anchor, Jeanine Pirro is an author, former judge, prosecutor, and politician. Jeanine Pirro is known on the Fox News Channel as a co-host of The Five. With her background, Jeanine Pirro is a legal analyst who hosted Fox News’ Justice with Judge Jeanine from January 1, 2011, to January 22, 2022. Two decades before joining Fox, Jeanine Pirro was appointed Judge of the Westchester County Court from January 1, 1991, until May 1993. A year later, Pirro succeeded Carl Vergari as District Attorney of Westchester County and served from January 1, 1994, to December 31, 2005.
Jessica Tarlov
Although Jessica Tarlov made her first appearance on Fox News in 2014, she became a contributor to the channel in May 2017. Jessica Tarlov is a political pundit and strategist who is a liberal alternating co-host on The Five. She’s often rotated as co-host with Harold Ford Jr. Tarlov and has made appearances in several other Fox News shows like Hannity, Fox & Friends, Outnumbered, and Your World with Neil Cavuto.
Laura Ingraham
Conservative television host Laura Ingraham joined Fox News in February 2017. Ingraham was given her own show, The Ingraham Angle, less than 10 months after joining the channel. Laura Ingraham has continued as the host of the opinion-based talk show since October 30, 2017. The hour-long talk show airs at 7 PM ET. The Ingraham Angle is one of the highest-rated cable TV news programs. The talk show has had its fair share of controversies since its inception. Besides being one of America’s most successful news anchors, Laura Ingraham is also a published author. As of 2023, Laura Ingraham has published six books, with three being a New York Times best seller.
Harris Faulkner
Harris Faulkner is one of the longest-serving female news anchors on Fox News. She joined the channel in 2005 and has served as guest, co-host, and host of several shows on Fox News. She was a guest on Red Eye w/ Greg Gutfeld from January 2010 to June 2015. From April 2011 to May 2017, Faulkner anchored Fox Report as its weekend anchor. Faulkner anchored Outnumbered Overtime with Harris Faulkner from October 2017 to January 2021. Harris Faulkner has been a co-host of Outnumbered since April 2014 and anchors The Faulkner Focus since January 2021.
Emily Compagno
Emily Compagno joined Fox News in 2018 as a legal analyst and contributor. In her early career with the channel, Compagno appeared semi-regularly on The Five and Gutfeld! where she offered legal analysis and opinions on several subject matters. She became the host of Fox Nation’s Crimes That Changed America, which premiered its first season on March 9, 2020. Emily Compagno is now popularly known as a co-host of Outnumbered, which she began in January 2021. She was announced as the new host of Fox News Radio’s The FOX True Crime Podcast sometime in February 2023.
Kayleigh McEnany
Political strategist Kayleigh McEnany is a newer face on Fox News than other female news anchors on the list. McEnany joined the channel as an on-air contributor on March 2, 2021. From May to June 2023, after Tucker Carlson was fired, Kayleigh McEnany served as the interim host of Fox News Tonight. However, McEnany is known for co-anchoring the talk show Outnumbered with Harris Faulkner and Emily Compagno. Before joining Fox News as an on-air contributor, Kayleigh McEnany served as the 33rd White House Press Secretary under President Donald Trump. She served from April 7, 2020, to January 20, 2021.
Sandra Smith
Sandra Smith is a news and business reporter known on Fox News Channel as a co-host of the TV news program America Reports. The 120-minute program airs on weekdays at 1:00 PM ET, where she’s joined by her co-anchor, John Roberts. Sandra Smith joined Fox Business as far back as 2007. Since then, she has appeared in several Fox shows, including Fox Business Happy Hour, Red Eye w/ Greg Gutfeld, and America’s Newsroom, and was once a co-host on Outnumbered.
Shannon Bream
Shannon Bream is also one of the longest-serving female news anchors on Fox News. She joined the news channel in November 2007. Shannon Bream is the founding host of Fox News @ Night, which premiered on October 30, 2017. Bream was its host for five years until Trace Gallagher was named permanent host in September 2023. Leaving Fox News @ Night, Shannon Bream replaced Chris Wallace to become the permanent anchor of Fox News Sunday. The published author, attorney, and journalist has also appeared on other of the channel shows as a substitute host or guest. A then-19-year-old Shannon Bream contested in the Miss America 1991 pageant and also in Miss USA 1995.
Ainsley Earhardt
After moving to New York City, Ainsley Earhardt began working with Fox News sometime in 2007. Ainsley Earhardt is known as one of the anchors on the channel’s daily morning news and talk program, Fox & Friends. She currently hosts the 180-minute weekday program with Steve Doocy, Brian Kilmeade, and Lawrence Jones. Earhardt joined the program in 2016 and is the third longest-serving anchor among the four weekday anchors. Steve Doocy and Brian Kilmeade have been hosts since the program premiered in 1998, with Lawrence Jones joining in 2023. Like other female news anchors on Fox News, Ainsley Earhardt has also appeared as a guest or panelist in other FNC shows.
