REPORT: 'Odds-On Favorite' To Replace Tucker Carlson On Fox News Revealed

With top-rated, prime-time host Tucker Carlson out at Fox News and a gaping wound in the network's lineup festering with underperforming guest hosts putting on 'Fox News Tonight' at 8 PM EST, Fox must be scrambling to replace him and audiences are starting to wonder. A new report released Tuesday provided some insight into the potential candidates to fill Carlson's shoes to the tune of three million nightly viewers.

According to a new report from The Hill, the lead panelist of 'The Five' and host of 'Jesse Watters Primetime' at 7 PM, Jesse Watters stands as the "odds-on favorite" to replace Carlson.
 

From WMDs to Russia collusion to Covid to the laptop, the American public’s been manipulated through the media. Just look at the last election- Tony Blinken got the CIA to run a cover-up operation to win Joe Biden the election. And the media printed the CIA lies to win Democrats… pic.twitter.com/Z2oGsSDw6V

— Jesse Watters (@JesseBWatters) May 2, 2023

The erstwhile host of the weekend hit 'Watters World', Jesse has a significant overlap in fan bases with Carlson and is as The Hill noted, "A sharp-tongued conservative who, like Carlson, has proven willing to attack Republicans and Democrats, Watters would be a consistent successor to the former Fox star, providing an audience with tested populist takes and quirky nonpolitical segments."

The outlet next named Brian Kilmeade as a potential suitor to fill Carlson's former slot. Kilmeade was the first of a rotating series of guest hosts to helm 'Fox News Tonight' and had the unenviable task of ignoring a gargantuan elephant in the room throughout.

He told audiences on Monday, according to The Hill,

“As you probably have heard, Fox News and Tucker Carlson have agreed to part ways. I wish Tucker the best. I’m great friends with Tucker and always will be,” and he left it at that.

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However, in spite of the awkwardness of the moment, Forbes reported that the audience dropped a mere 60,000 people with him at the desk from 2.65 million down to 2.59 million.
 

El Paso, TX declares state of emergency. pic.twitter.com/HsNIbX2qcC

— Brian Kilmeade (@kilmeade) May 3, 2023

Only after his initial broadcast did the ratings start to inevitably plunge with a cavalcade of personalities following. From over two and a half million by Wednesday the previous week, the slot was only watched by 1.33 million viewers following Tucker's ouster, as reported by former CNN personality Brian Stelter.

Even as one of Carlson's ideological opponents, Stelter acknowledged, "Tucker's absence has blown a massive hole in Fox's daily ratings."
 

One of the many wrinkles of this week: Fox's 7pm star Jesse Watters is off this week. Fill-ins usually don't rate as well. Despite that, more viewers are watching at 7 than 8, when it's supposed to be the opposite. Tucker's absence has blown a massive hole in Fox's daily ratings.

— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) April 28, 2023

In The Hill's report, writer Dominick Mastrangelo floated Fox daytime host of 'The Faulker Focus', Harris Faulkner, as well as British TalkTV host, and New York Post contributor Piers Morgan as well. A Faulkner-led show seems likely to be a path toward a slow possible recovery and seems less likely than the more proven Kilmeade or Watters. Morgan would seem to be an openly antagonistic choice for pro-Trump viewers, only hastening their exodus to Newsmax and other competitors.

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