Fox News is erupting with speculation as reports surge that Greg Gutfeld may be stepping in as the permanent replacement for Jessica Tarlov on The Five, even as the show celebrates a record.

For a network known for shockwaves, sharp elbows, and ratings that dominate cable news, even Fox News wasn’t prepared for the wildfire of speculation that ignited this week.
What began as a whisper inside mid-level production halls has exploded into a headline-driving frenzy: Greg Gutfeld — comedian, talk show host, and fan favorite — may be quietly positioned to replace Jessica Tarlov as the permanent center-left seat on The Five.

Greg Gutfeld, author of Fox News Books’ “The Gutfeld Monologues”

If true, it would mark one of the boldest casting decisions in the show’s 14-year history.

But the timing of the rumor is what pushes the drama to a boiling point. The chatter broke just as The Five celebrated a staggering 3.851 million average viewers in Q2 2025 — not just another win, but a record-shattering milestone that cements the program’s absolute dominance over all cable news programming. While other networks scramble for footing in a fractured media landscape, The Five stands alone as Fox’s crown jewel.

So why make a switch now?
Why even consider altering a formula that is delivering historic success?
And why Greg Gutfeld?

Those are the questions blowing up group chats, conservative Facebook pages, political Twitter/X threads, and the internal messaging channels inside Fox headquarters.

And according to insiders — the rumor is only the tip of something much bigger.

A Rumor Too Loud to Ignore

According to several individuals described as “very familiar” with Fox’s internal discussions, early Q3 meetings included high-level debate over refreshing the on-air lineup across multiple shows. But the conversation surrounding The Five — a show built on chemistry, tension, and predictable unpredictability — was what reportedly drew the most scrutiny.

Jessica Tarlov, the show’s Democratic voice, has long been both celebrated and criticized. She’s articulate, disciplined, and analytical — and she’s also the lightning rod of the panel. Fans tune in to watch her go head-to-head with Greg Gutfeld, spar with Jesse Watters, or force a begrudging grin from Dana Perino.

But recent months have reportedly placed a larger-than-usual strain on the show’s internal rhythm. Some point to Tarlov’s maternity leave; others point to clashes over how the show should evolve in the post-2024 political era, where the left-right binary has become more volatile than ever.

Into that vacuum stepped…
Greg Gutfeld.

His fill-in appearances were, to put it mildly, a hit.
Episodes featuring him saw noticeable spikes in engagement — not always ratings, but something Fox now values almost as highly: viral lift. Clips of his witty, politically sharp commentary shot across X, Facebook, and TikTok at a speed normally reserved for Gutfeld monologues and Watters one-liners.

Fans praised him as “refreshingly real,” “impossible to rattle,” and “the most authentic voice the panel has seen in years.”

Others declared him the perfect ideological mix: solidly conservative but not hyper-partisan, witty without trying too hard, and capable of delivering a moral weight that few on cable news possess.

So when whispers surfaced that producers were testing his on-air chemistry with each co-host, speculation turned into a storm.

A Fanbase Divided — Loudly

The reaction online has been immediate, emotional, and brutally divided.

Team Gutfeld
Fans pushing for Gutfeld say this is the evolution the show needs.
Not a shock-jock addition.
Not a partisan blade.
But someone whose real-world experience gives every discussion — foreign policy, veterans’ issues, domestic polarization — a gravity that resonates.

One post on a popular conservative Facebook forum read:

“Greg Gutfeld brings life experience, not political rehearsing. He feels like the future of cable news — not the past.”

Another wrote:

“Fox needs fewer strategists and more real Americans. Gutfeld is the real deal.”

Team Tarlov
But the opposition is just as intense.

A massive portion of The Five’s audience believes Jessica Tarlov is essential to the show’s dynamic — the friction that makes the fire burn. Without a strong Democratic voice, they argue, the program risks becoming an echo chamber, losing the unpredictable debate that made it No. 1.

As one fan wrote on X:

“You can’t replace Jessica. She is the tension, the contrast, the foil. Without her, the show loses its entire structure.”

Another added:

“Gutfeld is great — but not as the liberal seat. That’s not the role he’s built for.”

And that raises the biggest question of all:
Is Fox planning to replace Tarlov entirely — or to move Gutfeld into a new format altogether?

That’s where insiders say the real story begins.

A Prime-Time Plot Bigger Than The Five?

Fox News host Greg Gutfeld honored with journalism award at Tennessee gala | Fox News

Multiple Fox employees — described as “frustrated but cautiously optimistic” — told media reporters that the rumored Gutfeld–Tarlov shakeup may actually be part of a multi-show realignment being discussed at the very top of the network.

While details are tightly guarded, three major possibilities keep appearing in the whispers:

A New Hybrid Panel Show
One insider claims Fox executives are floating a new prime-time panel format modeled after The Five, but sharper, edgier, and aimed at a younger demographic. Gutfeld would reportedly be a central figure.

A Veteran-Centered Political Hour
A second rumor centers around Gutfeld leading a new show focused on national security, real-world stakes, and America’s military culture — a space Fox increasingly wants to own amid growing geopolitical tension.

A Full Primetime Overhaul
This is the one creating the biggest stir.
According to a senior producer:

“The shakeup on The Five is not the endgame. It’s the first domino.”

If these rumors hold true, Fox may be preparing one of the most sweeping programming reorganizations since the early 2000s — something that could push the network into a new era of digital integration, younger viewership targeting, and personality-driven branding.

The timing makes sense.
Election season is coming.
Cable competition is tightening.
Streaming platforms are eating into nighttime slots.
And Fox, more than any other network, survives on reinvention.

Why Greg Gutfeld — and Why Now?

To understand why Gutfeld’s name keeps floating to the surface, you need to understand something Fox executives increasingly value: emotional trust.

Gutfeld brings:

authenticity forged through life-and-death service

humor that doesn’t feel scripted

generational appeal across age brackets

viral-cut potential

cross-ideological respect

and a rare ability to make heated moments human rather than hostile

He’s tough without being abrasive.
Patriotic without pandering.
Smart without sounding academic.
Opinionated without appearing entrenched.

In short:
He’s the kind of modern media figure cable news desperately wants but struggles to find.

And Fox knows it.

So Where Does Jessica Tarlov Fit?

Contrary to the loudest online theories, insiders insist Tarlov is not being pushed out of the network. If anything, her growing influence suggests a different trajectory: long-form interviews, in-depth election commentary, and expanded roles across Fox Business.

But for now, no one — not fans, not producers, not executives — seems certain where she’ll land.

The Only Certainty: More Change Is Coming

If there’s one message coming from inside Fox’s towering Midtown headquarters, it’s this:

“Nothing is confirmed.
Nothing is denied.
And nothing is off the table.”

That ambiguity is not accidental.
Fox has learned that speculation drives attention, and attention drives ratings.

Whatever the network has planned — whether a single seat swap on The Five or a sweeping overhaul of the entire prime-time block — the anticipation is already reshaping how viewers see the future of the brand.

And one thing is clear:

Greg Gutfeld is at the center of a conversation that isn’t going away anytime soon.

The only question left is whether Fox News is preparing for evolution…
or revolution.

And viewers won’t have to wait long to find out.