Liberal Fox News personality Jessica Tarlov just got word about her future with the right-leaning network.
Reports on Thursday said she has signed a new three-year contract with Fox News, ensuring that one of the network’s most prominent liberal voices will remain a regular presence on The Five even as the program’s lineup continues to evolve.
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Tarlov confirmed the new agreement in an interview with Marie Claire, describing the contract as validation that Fox continues to value the role she plays on a show dominated by conservative personalities.
“It’s always a great affirmation of your seat at the table,” Tarlov said. “No matter how contentious it looks or difficult or terrible to some people, that you’re a valued element in this discourse.”
Tarlov joined Fox News as a contributor in 2017 and has since become one of the network’s most recognizable Democratic commentators.
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She currently rotates with former Democratic Rep. Harold Ford Jr. in the liberal seat on The Five, appearing alongside Jesse Watters, Greg Gutfeld, Dana Perino and newly added permanent co-host Emily Compagno.
Fox’s own biography continues to list Tarlov as a rotating co-host rather than a full-time daily panelist.
Her new contract comes as The Five remains the most-watched programs in cable news.
Fox said the show averaged 3.6 million total viewers during the second quarter of 2026 and 322,000 viewers in the advertiser-coveted 25-to-54 demographic. That marked its 19th consecutive quarter as the highest-rated show in cable news.
The program’s lineup changed significantly this year when Compagno moved from being a permanent co-host on Fox’s “Outnumbered” to The Five on Sept. 8.
Compagno joined Watters, Gutfeld and Perino in the regular conservative seats, while Tarlov and Ford continued rotating as the Democratic or liberal counterpoint.
Tarlov’s position has made her a frequent source of some of the program’s most heated exchanges.
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She regularly challenges her conservative colleagues on Trump administration policies, elections, abortion, immigration and other political issues, often finding herself outnumbered four-to-one during panel discussions.
Despite the sometimes combative appearances, Tarlov has repeatedly said her relationships with her co-hosts are much friendlier off camera.
She told Marie Claire that viewers sometimes assume the hostility they see during debates continues after the show ends, but said the reality is considerably different.
Tarlov has described Watters and Gutfeld as colleagues who will check on her after particularly intense arguments and said strong political disagreement has not prevented genuine personal relationships.
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That dynamic is also part of the argument Tarlov has made for remaining at Fox.
Rather than appearing primarily before an audience that already agrees with her politically, she has said her role allows her to present Democratic arguments directly to millions of viewers who may be skeptical of them.
“I have the coolest job in media for a liberal, just hands down,” Tarlov said in a separate interview earlier this summer.
Her tenure has not been without controversy.
Tarlov has been criticized by conservative viewers and political figures for some of her commentary and has also faced criticism from liberals who question the value of appearing on Fox News.
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Marie Claire reported that her role has subjected her to online abuse and even threats, while also making her one of the most visible liberal commentators on conservative television.
Tarlov said the pressure has not convinced her to leave.
The new three-year agreement makes that particularly clear.
“I’m not going anywhere,” she told Marie Claire, while discussing both her contract and her forthcoming book.
Tarlov is also expanding her profile outside television.
Her book, “I Disagree: Winning Arguments Without Losing Friends,” is scheduled for release Sept. 15 and focuses on how people with sharp political disagreements can argue without destroying personal relationships.
This article may contain commentary which reflects the author’s opinion.
