You know that bright orange couch. Even if you don't watch the show, you've seen the clips, the parodies, and the late-night tweets. Since 1998, Fox & Friends has basically been the living room for a specific slice of America. But honestly, the roster of past Fox and Friends hosts is a lot longer and weirder than most people remember. It’s not just a revolving door of blonde hair and suits; it’s a timeline of how cable news became what it is today.
Steve Doocy is the anchor. He’s the constant. He’s been there since the Clinton administration, which is sort of wild when you think about the turnover rate in television. But the people who stood—or sat—beside him? They’ve gone on to become White House press secretaries, governors, and even the center of massive legal settlements. If you want to understand the DNA of modern news, you have to look at who left the couch and why.
The Early Days: When the Couch Was Just Getting Warm
Back in 1998, the show wasn't the political juggernaut it is now. It was a bit more "morning zoo" radio but on TV. The original trio featured Doocy, Brian Kilmeade, and E.D. Hill.
E.D. Hill was a pillar of the show for years. She had this specific, sharp journalistic edge that balanced out the guys' more upbeat, sometimes goofy personas. She stayed until 2008. Most people forget she was there for a full decade because the later years of the show became so defined by its relationship with the Trump presidency, but Hill was the one who navigated the 9/11 era and the Iraq War. When she left, it marked the first major identity shift for the program.
Then there was the weekend crew. People like Alisyn Camerota, who eventually jumped ship to CNN, started her journey here. It’s funny looking back at old clips of Camerota on Fox. She was a staple of the morning weekend block for ages. Her transition to a rival network is one of those industry moves that still gets talked about in media circles because it highlights the widening ideological gap between networks.
The Gretchen Carlson Era and the Shift in Media Culture
If we’re talking about past Fox and Friends hosts, we have to talk about Gretchen Carlson. This isn't just about TV ratings. It’s about history.
Carlson joined in 2006. She was a former Miss America and a Stanford grad, and she played a very specific role on that couch. For years, the dynamic was Doocy, Kilmeade, and Carlson. It worked. The ratings were huge. But behind the scenes, things were falling apart. When Carlson left the show in 2013—initially moving to her own afternoon slot—it seemed like a standard career move.
It wasn't.
Her subsequent lawsuit against Roger Ailes changed everything. Not just for Fox, but for the entire corporate world. It was the precursor to the #MeToo movement. Carlson’s departure is the most significant exit in the show's history because it wasn't about a contract dispute; it was about the fundamental culture of the building. When you see her name on a list of former hosts, it carries a different weight than anyone else's.
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Elisabeth Hasselbeck and the View Connection
After Carlson, the show needed a big name. They got Elisabeth Hasselbeck.
She was already a household name because of Survivor and her very loud, very contentious years on The View. Bringing her over was a genius move from a casting perspective. She already knew how to handle a multi-host format. She knew how to speak to a conservative audience.
She didn't stay as long as people think—only about two years, from 2013 to 2015. She cited a desire to spend more time with her kids, which is a classic TV exit line, but in her case, it seemed genuine. She basically retired from the grind of daily morning TV after that. Her stint was short, but it solidified the "three-host" chemistry that the show relies on.
The Trump Years: Ainsley Earhardt and the New Guard
While Steve Doocy and Brian Kilmeade remained the backbone, the third seat became a focal point of national politics. Ainsley Earhardt took over in 2016, right as the political landscape was shifting under everyone's feet.
But what about the ones who didn't stay?
Abby Huntsman is a name that pops up often. She was a co-host on Fox & Friends Weekend before moving to The View (the opposite of the Hasselbeck route). Her exit was interesting because it felt like she was trying to find a middle ground in an era where middle grounds were disappearing.
Then you have the "interim" hosts and the frequent contributors who felt like hosts.
- Heather Childers: A long-time presence on the early morning First Look and the main show. Her exit in 2020 was abrupt and reportedly linked to her coming into work while sick during the early days of the pandemic.
- Anna Kooiman: She was a rising star on the weekend edition but moved to Australia with her husband. She was one of those hosts that viewers genuinely seemed to connect with because she was incredibly active and shared a lot of her personal fitness journey.
- Clayton Morris: A mainstay of the weekend couch for a decade. He left the network entirely to focus on real estate and independent media, which was a huge shift from the 4:00 AM wake-up calls.
Why the Turnover Matters More Than You Think
TV is a business of familiarity. Morning TV specifically is about being a "friend" to the viewer. When a host leaves, it’s like a member of the family moving away.
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The reason people obsess over past Fox and Friends hosts isn't just nostalgia. It’s because the show serves as a talent incubator for the GOP and conservative media at large. Look at Heather Nauert. She was a breaking news anchor on the show and ended up becoming the Spokesperson for the State Department.
The "couch to cabinet" pipeline is a real thing.
This isn't just entertainment; it’s a career springboard. When someone joins the show, they aren't just reading teleprompters. They are auditioning for a role in the broader American political conversation. That’s why the departures are often so contentious or, conversely, so celebrated.
The Ones Who Disappeared
Ever heard of Julian Phillips? He was one of the original co-hosts back in the very beginning. Most people have no clue.
In the late 90s, the show was still finding its feet. Phillips was part of that early experiment in diversity and tone. When the show eventually pivoted toward the Doocy/Kilmeade/Hill trio, the earlier iterations were mostly wiped from the public memory.
Then there’s Kiran Chetry. She was a major star at Fox, often filling in on the morning show and anchoring Fox & Friends First. Her move to CNN in 2007 was a huge "get" for the rival network at the time. It’s a reminder that back then, the lines between these networks were slightly more porous than they are now. Today, you rarely see a host jump from Fox to CNN or vice-versa without a massive cooling-off period or a total rebranding.
The Subtle Art of the Weekend Couch
The weekend show is often the "B-team," but it’s actually where most of the future stars are born.
Pete Hegseth was a weekend host for years before his profile exploded. Rick Reichmuth, the meteorologist, has been a staple forever, providing a sense of continuity even as the main anchors rotate. The weekend show has a looser vibe, and the turnover there is actually higher, which makes for a long list of "oh yeah, I remember them!" names.
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Think about Dave Briggs. He co-hosted the weekend show for years before moving to NBC Sports and later CNN Business. Or Maria Molina, the meteorologist who left to pursue her PhD. These aren't just "talking heads"; they are people with massive career pivots that reflect the changing nature of the media industry.
How to Track Down Your Favorite Former Hosts
If you're trying to figure out where a specific host went, the transition usually follows one of three paths:
- The Rival Jump: Moving to CNN, MSNBC, or a major broadcast network (ABC/NBC). This is rarer now.
- The Political Pivot: Taking a job in a presidential administration or a think tank.
- The Digital Independent: Starting a podcast or a YouTube channel.
The digital route is becoming the most common. Guys like Clayton Morris have built entire empires outside of the traditional cable news structure. It’s a lot more lucrative for some, and you don't have to wear a suit at 5:00 AM.
Actionable Insights for Following Media Careers
If you're interested in the trajectory of news personalities, don't just look at their Wikipedia page. Follow the trail of their production credits. Many past Fox and Friends hosts move into executive roles or start their own production companies.
- Check LinkedIn: It sounds boring, but many former anchors keep their professional profiles updated with their board memberships and consulting gigs.
- Look for Book Deals: A departure from the couch is almost always followed by a memoir or a political manifesto. This is usually where the "real" story of their exit is told—or at least the version they want you to hear.
- Monitor Substack and Podcasts: This is the new retirement home for cable news anchors. If they aren't on TV, they are likely talking directly to their fans through a subscription model.
The "Curvy Couch" is a rite of passage. Some people stay for twenty years, and some stay for twenty months. But everyone who sits there changes the trajectory of the show, even if they're just a footnote in a Wikipedia entry a decade later.
Next time you see a new face on the morning news, just remember: they’re likely already planning their next move. Whether it’s the White House or a quiet life in the suburbs, the couch is never the final destination. It’s just the loudest one.