FOX News rising star Tucker Carlson to replace vacating Megyn Kelly
Just two days after FOX News darling Megyn Kelly announced her shocking departure, the network has already decided on her replacement.
Network executives chose one of their own, announcing that Tucker Carlson will take over Kelly's 9 p.m. hour.
The "Tucker Carlson Tonight" host continues to dominate cable ratings since the premiere of his nightly show in mid-November. Approximately 3.7 million viewers watched the premiere, according to Nelson Media Research, making it the network's most watched show of 2016 in the time slot.
"Tucker has already proven to be an audience powerhouse at 7 p.m., now [the] sky is the limit!" an insider said.
See Megyn Kelly through the years:
Kelly reacted on Twitter soon after the announcement, saying it's a "a great decision" by FOX News.
Congratulations to my friend @TuckerCarlson on moving to the 9p slot at Fox! This is a great decision by FNC & I will be cheering him on!
— Megyn Kelly (@megynkelly) January 5, 2017
The ratings king joined FOX News in 2009 as a contributor and quickly rose up the ranks. He took over the 7 p.m. time slot after Greta Van Susteren decided to resign as host of her long-running program, "On the Record with Greta Van Susteren."
Before joining the network, he worked at MSNBC and PBS. He was the host of CNN's "The Spin Room," becoming the youngest anchor ever at the network in 2000.
Several names were floated around for the coveted job -- including FOX Business host Trish Regan.
Regan was personally prepared by former CEO Roger Ailes before his departure to replace Kelly just in case she decided to leave the network. Many thought the news channel would opt for a female replacement to offset an all-male primetime lineup.
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The network also announced that Martha MacCallum will move into Carlson's 7 p.m. time slot, but they haven't confirmed whether it's a temporary move.
The swift news comes on the heels of Kelly's decision to leave FOX News after 12 years. The "Kelly File" host revealed she'll be taking her talents to NBC News.
She will hold a "triple role" at the rival network, which includes becoming an "anchor of a new one hour daytime program that she will develop closely with NBC News colleagues."
FOX News reportedly offered her a four-year contract worth a jaw-dropping $100 million. She turned it down without countering.
Her last show is on Friday.
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