Elisabeth Hasselbeck is leaving "The View" to join Fox News' morning show, "Fox & Friends," the New York Post's Page Six reported Tuesday evening.
The news, which New York Times media reporter Brian Stelter also reported on Twitter, comes several months after Hasselbeck was first rumored to be leaving ABC's long-tenured daytime talk show. She will join "Fox & Friends" in "mid-September," the report says.
Stelter said that Wednesday will be Hasselbeck's last day on "The
View," bringing her lengthy tenure there to an abrupt end. The show is
going through an almost-complete overhaul; by mid-2014, Barbara Walters,
Joy Behar and Hasselbeck will all have departed.
Fox News chief Roger Ailes issued a statement about the news, saying,
"Elisabeth’s warm and engaging personality made her a star on 'The
View.' She has proven to be an excellent conversationalist and I am
certain she will make a great addition to our already successful morning
franchise."
Gretchen Carlson, who currently hosts "Fox & Friends" with Steve
Doocy and Brian Kilmeade, will helm a one-hour daytime program beginning
in early fall, according to Page Six. It's possible that Carlson will
take over one of the two hours previously hosted by Megyn Kelly, who
will host a primetime show on Fox News when she returns from maternity
leave.
Though it comes as something of a surprise, the move makes a great
deal of sense for everyone involved. Carlson, who has been rumored to
have angled for a higher profile on Fox News, will get her own show.
Hasselbeck, who has been the house conservative on "The View" for years,
will move to a program whose political views coincide perfectly with
her own—and whose less-than-highbrow approach to the news dovetails with
her daytime experience.
Moreover, she is a tested name and will bring her own version of star
power to the show, and to the wider network. She is also likely to make
regular appearances on primetime shows like Bill O'Reilly's and Sean
Hannity's.
All eyes will be on "The View" Wednesday to see how her departure is
handled. The apparently sudden nature of the exit could suggest some
behind-the-scenes tensions.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
0 Response to 'Elisabeth Hasselbeck Joining Fox News, Leaving 'The View' '
Post a Comment