Steve Doocy is giving up his spot on the curvy couch at “Fox & Friends,” but he won’t be leaving the Fox News morning program.
Doocy told viewers Thursday he is moving to Florida where he will perform his co-host duties remotely while Ainsley Earhardt, Lawrence Jones and Brian Kilmeade continue to helm the program from the network’s studio in New York. After putting in nearly three decades on the morning shift at Fox News, he will reduce his work load to three days a week.
“It is a great job but the hours suck,” Doocy said. “After decades of getting up at 3:30 and driving into New York City in the dark, today is the last day I will host this show from the couch. I’m not retiring. I’m not leaving the show, I’m still a host but it’s time for a change.”
Doocy said he will also travel to outside of Florida to do remote segments for “Fox & Friends.”
Doocy, 68, is a Fox News original, joining the conservative-leaning network when it launched in 1996.
(Fox News)
Doocy, 68, is a Fox News original, joining the conservative-leaning network when it launched in 1996. He was the “weather guy” on the original Fox News morning program “Fox X-Press” and became a co-host of “Fox & Friends” when it took over the time period in 1998.
In recent years, Doocy emerged as the member of the “Fox & Friends” team most likely to challenge the Trump-supporting talking points heard throughout the program. His occasionally tense exchanges with Kilmeade — such as when the two clashed over congressional investigations into Joe Biden and his son Hunter — are often highlighted by Fox News critics on social media.
The moments of pushback from Doocy have been noticeable as “Fox & Friends” has long been giving Trump an unfiltered forum to present his views — including his false claim that former President Obama was not born in the U.S. — before entering the political arena as a candidate.
It remains to be seen whether Doocy’s ability to provide a counterpoint on issues will be diminished by not being in the studio. Doocy assured viewers that he will continue to speak up.
“I will continue to join the couch crew for commentary,” he said. “Don’t worry — you will still hear my voice loud and clear.”
The program showed a congratulatory video message from President Trump. “You’ve always treated me fairly — sometimes a little more fairly than other times, but that’s OK,” Trump said. “… You are a very, very good man.”
Doocy’s son, Peter Doocy, is senior White House correspondent for Fox News and his daughter-in-law, Hillary Vaughn, is a Washington, D.C.-based correspondent for Fox Business Network. Peter Doocy and Vaughn are married.
Before joining Fox News, Steve Doocy was a features reporter at the Washington, D.C., station WRC-TV, a host for daytime NBC talk show “House Party,” and a host on the cable network America’s Talking, which was the precursor to MSNBC.
