Fox News hosts Sean Hannity, Laura Ingraham and Martha MacCallum were reportedly so “spooked and irked” by Megyn Kelly’s appearance on Tucker Carlson Tonight this week, management felt the need to assure each of them that their jobs were safe.
According to The Daily Beast, host Tucker Carlson booked Kelly without prior approval from his superiors. That, plus the fact that the now-unemployed-but-looking Kelly showed up less than a week after Shepard Smith’s resignation raised a lot of suspicions.
More from The Daily Beast:
Multiple sources inside and outside Fox News told The Daily Beast on Tuesday that Martha MacCallum, Sean Hannity and Laura Ingraham—whose programs air at 7pm, 9pm and 10pm, respectively, on the right-leaning outlet—were variously spooked and irked by the prospect of Kelly’s return, which Carlson announced at the end of Monday’s installment of Tucker Carlson Tonight.
…
By most accounts, Fox News’ chief executive, Suzanne Scott, was compelled to re-assure each nighttime host individually throughout the day on Tuesday that their jobs were safe and that Kelly’s appearance on Carlson’s show was a one-time-only event.
…
A source familiar with Kelly’s thinking told The Daily Beast that she “has a good relationship with Lachlan [Murdoch] and Tucker, among others, but left Fox News for good reason and has no intention of going back.”
Kelly’s appearance was reportedly to be “mainly” about the revelations about NBC, Harvey Weinstein and Matt Lauer in Ronan Farrow’s new book. But her appearance stretched into nearly 21 minutes and covered the Democratic presidential candidates’ debate, impeachment, criticism of CNN, and the Fox News chestnut, Joe Biden and Ukraine. As I wrote in a previous post, Kelly sure sounded like she was eager to replace Shepard Smith.
But Kelly has also reportedly been in talks with Shari Redstone about a new conservative TV channel to compete with Fox.
Because, apparently, Fox News, Fox Business, OANN, Newsmax TV and The Blaze (did I leave anyone out?) are not enough.
You can watch Kelly’s full October 16, 2019 appearance on Tucker Carlson Tonight below.
While having good looks for women in the TV industry is important, you also have to come across as likable. She didn’t.