Jesse Watters is taking Tucker Carlson's old Fox News slot

Jesse Watters is seen behind the anchor desk at his TV show.
Jesse Watters on the set of his show "Jesse Watters Primetime," which will take over Tucker Carlson's 8 p.m. slot on Fox News.

John Lamparski/Getty Images

  • Jesse Watters, known for his "Watters' World" segments, is taking Tucker Carlson's old slot.
  • Watters' profile at Fox News rose through his work with the network's former star Bill O'Reilly.
  • Carlson was pushed out from Fox News in April following the Dominion lawsuit.

Jesse Watters, whose profile at Fox News rose due to his work with one of the network's former stars Bill O'Reilly, will be taking the coveted primetime spot that once belonged to former network anchor Tucker Carlson. 

Watters' show "Jesse Watters Primetime" will take the 8 p.m. Eastern slot on July 17, Fox News said in a statement on Monday that outlined its forthcoming schedule. The statement did not reference Carlson.

In its statement, Fox News described the show as Watters' "fresh take on the major headlines of the day while interviewing newsmakers from across the country."

Watters gained prominence under the wing of departed Fox News anchor Bill O'Reilly, who led the "The O'Reilly Factor" until his own termination from the network in 2017 after sexual harassment allegations against him. At the time, O'Reilly called the allegations "completely unfounded."

Watters was known for "Watters' World," his man-on-the-street segments in which he questioned passersby about various topics, often hoping to provoke or push buttons.

In one infamous 2016 edition, he questioned passersby in New York City's Chinatown about then presidential candidates Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. He posed the mic to subjects who appeared to speak little English, apparently poking fun at their difficulty answering questions. The episode prompted allegations of racism, which Watters defended at the time as part of his "tongue-in-cheek" style of interviews. 

Before that, Watters was the managing editor of Fox Nation, a site that served up coverage on the politics and social issues galvanizing a conservative audience, according to an Insider feature on Watters. 

Carlson, whose ouster from the network in April drove chatter about his sudden exit, has since taken his wares to social media with "Tucker on Twitter." His new presentation appears to have a decidedly more woodsy setting than the traditional anchor perch on his former show "Tucker Carlson Tonight."

Carlson's departure came amid the fallout from Fox News's $787.5 million settlement with Dominion Voting Systems, which had alleged that the network had spread misinformation about the 2020 US presidential elections and its voting systems. 

Carlson did not immediately respond to Insider's Twitter DM seeking comment on Watters taking over his former Fox News slot. 

Read the original article on Business Insider


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