“The Five” hosts Harold Ford Jr., Jessica Tarlov, Jesse Watters, Dana Perino, and Greg Gutfeld.
Fox News
Ask Greg Gutfeld why The Five has lasted for 15 years as of this week—to the point that it’s now cable news’ most-watched program, averaging more than 3.8 million viewers—and his answer isn’t particularly complicated. “We don’t take ourselves too seriously,” Gutfeld told Forbes about the show, which this year is even outdrawing broadcast staples like The View and Grey’s Anatomy.
Viewers of The Five, Gutfeld continued, “get a sense that politics isn’t the only thing in our lives.”
He thinks the show’s freewheeling conversations are also a big part of the appeal.
“People come back to the show every day, because they never know what they might get.”
Gutfeld, along with the rest of The Five’s permanent co-hosts, reflected in separate comments to Forbes about the friendships, chemistry, and spirited debates that have fueled the rise of one of Fox News’ biggest success stories over the last decade-and-a-half.
The rise of ‘The Five’
Conceived as a temporary summer replacement for Glenn Beck’s vacated 5 p.m. time slot, The Five began as a low-risk experiment that went on to span multiple presidential administrations, seismic changes in the media business and the rise of streaming.
Needless to say, the gamble paid off. For the second quarter of 2026, just to cite one example, Fox News claimed the five most-watched programs in cable news, led by The Five with an average of 3.575 million total viewers and 322,000 adults 25-54.
Recent discussions on the show have focused on everything from the death of Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham to renewed U.S. strikes on Iran. Behind the arguments and debates that viewers see every afternoon, meanwhile, the co-hosts say something less obvious has kept The Five together for 15 years: Genuine friendship.
Jesse Watters told Forbes that “there isn’t any backstabbing or ulterior motives” behind the scenes. “We actually like each other. Everyone is chill in the commercial breaks. If you like someone you can make fun of them, and that’s what we do. It works.”
To really shine on the program, he continued, “you have to be the best version of yourself. Preparation for that hour is an all-day affair. Reading the newspapers, researching and writing are just as important as getting myself in a good mood. Getting outside in nature before 5 p.m. or spending time with your family makes you feel good. You have to bring the right energy to the table.”
The chemistry behind Fox News’ ratings hit
Harold Ford Jr. agreed about the bonhomie around the table, calling the panelists “real friends” and revealing that he, Gutfeld and Watters even share a daily conversation about their faith.
Adds Dana Perino, “There’s something comforting about knowing how your favorite show is going to start. The same introduction, the same people, the same set—but new topics and fresh commentary every day.”
Perino credits Gutfeld with “coaxing me out of my shell” when it came to giving personal opinions about the news of the day.
Not only has The Five been the #1 cable news show for three consecutive years, by the way. Its midnight replay also regularly draws just shy of 1 million viewers, outperforming much of the CNN weekday lineup. What’s more, unlike many opinion programs on the network, The Five pairs its conservative hosts with Democratic panelists like Jessica Tarlov in addition to Ford, making ideological disagreement part of the show’s DNA.
“I’m outspoken and I have strong opinions, but if people don’t believe there’s genuine respect behind the debate, they’ll see right through it,” Tarlov said. “One of the things that’s important to all of us is showing viewers that you can disagree, have a spirited conversation, maybe even change your mind—or maybe not—and still come back tomorrow ready to have another conversation.”
Ford sees the show’s daily conversations as also serving a purpose beyond TV.
“It’s an honor to be at a table watched by millions of people every day discussing and debating important things people are facing with friends who I sometimes disagree with,” he said.
“Foremost on my mind whenever I’m discussing politics and public policy—since my days in high school debate club until now—has always been to try to find common ground so that we can get to higher ground. To me, the ultimate goal of politics is to get people to higher ground.”