“They told me I was safe, but now I see the knives out” – Cable news world rocked by BRUTAL ratings shakeup as Fox News takes 14 of the top 15 spots, and whispers swirl Harold Ford Jr. could permanently replace Jessica Tarlov on The Five

The latest ratings report has detonated like a bomb inside the media world. Fox News didn’t just win – it crushed the competition, capturing nearly every slot at the top. But insiders say the real story isn’t just about numbers. Behind closed doors, the chatter has turned to Jessica Tarlov, the lone liberal voice on The Five, and the shocking possibility that Harold Ford Jr. could be positioned to take her chair for good. Allies warn this would be nothing short of a purge, stripping away the last sliver of balance on the network’s most powerful show. Why now? Some point to ratings strategy, others to internal feuds too bitter to keep hidden.

To uncover why Jessica Tarlov may be on the chopping block and what this rumored power shift means for Fox’s future, check out the full story in the comments. 👇

Fox News Ratings DOMINANCE Shakes the Media World

The latest Nielsen ratings landed like a thunderclap across the television industry. In a single week, Fox News didn’t just edge out its rivals—it annihilated them, seizing fourteen of the top fifteen most-watched shows. It was less a competition and more an absolute conquest, a reminder that Fox remains not just a leader in cable news but an unstoppable juggernaut with no equal.

For CNN and MSNBC, the report read like an obituary. CNN failed to place even a single program in the top tier. MSNBC, once considered Fox’s closest rival, could manage only one. The rest of the board belonged entirely to Fox News. The sweep was so overwhelming that it has left competitors in a daze, scrambling for explanations while insiders whisper that their networks are now facing a crisis not of ratings—but of survival.

Yet behind Fox’s historic triumph lies a shadow that few outside the network saw coming. The whispers are not about victory, but about betrayal. Jessica Tarlov, the liberal co-host of “The Five,” is suddenly at the center of a storm that could change the DNA of Fox’s crown jewel program forever. The speculation is explosive: Harold Ford Jr., the former Democratic congressman and Fox contributor, could be preparing to permanently replace her.

To some, it is just rumor. To others, it is the inevitable next move in Fox’s strategy to solidify dominance. But to Jessica Tarlov herself, allies say, it feels like the knives are out.

The Rise of Jesse Watters and a New Era of Power

At the core of this drama stands Jesse Watters, a man who has transformed from on-air prankster to the most powerful figure in cable news. Once dismissed as a sidekick, Watters now controls both the number one and number two most-watched shows in all of cable television. “The Five,” where he sits as one of the sharpest conservative voices, reigns supreme at the top. His solo venture, “Jesse Watters Primetime,” claims the next spot just below it.

This dual victory is more than success—it is consolidation. Watters now represents the network’s future, the anchor of Fox’s next decade, the man who not only draws ratings but commands loyalty and influence inside the building. Executives know that what strengthens Watters strengthens the network. And with “The Five” serving as the flagship, the mandate is clear: nothing can be allowed to threaten its dominance.

That is where Jessica Tarlov enters the crosshairs. For years, she has played the most difficult role on television: the sole liberal voice at a table otherwise filled with staunch conservatives. She has sparred with Greg Gutfeld, clashed with Watters, and taken the brunt of the audience’s anger as well as praise. Her presence is part of what gives “The Five” its unique formula, a daily clash of perspectives that simmers with tension and unpredictability.

But now, some insiders say, that tension is no longer viewed as an asset. As ratings rise higher and higher, the conversation has reportedly shifted from whether Tarlov adds value to whether she may, in fact, be holding the show back.

Jessica Tarlov Under Siege

According to multiple people familiar with the conversations, executives are debating whether the future of “The Five” lies in conflict—or in calm. Jessica Tarlov’s style is combative, pointed, and deeply personal. She leans into fights, often standing her ground in the face of four opponents who push back hard. That combat has long fueled fiery exchanges and made headlines, but executives are asking a new question: does the audience still want this daily clash, or are they looking for something smoother, less divisive, and more broadly appealing?

Enter Harold Ford Jr. Unlike Tarlov, Ford avoids confrontation. A former congressman, he has earned a reputation as measured, polished, and diplomatic. Where Tarlov sparks arguments, Ford offers bridges. He rarely gets rattled, preferring to calmly deliver his points and then step back rather than escalate. Insiders say this style appeals not only to viewers exhausted by constant bickering but also to advertisers who prefer a calmer tone in the nation’s most-watched show.

One anonymous producer put it bluntly: “If ‘The Five’ is the crown jewel, why not polish it? The show is bigger than any one personality.”

But for others, the suggestion is nothing less than heresy. Removing Tarlov, they argue, would gut the very heart of what makes “The Five” different. Without her fiery challenges, the show risks becoming little more than an echo chamber. “She may infuriate some viewers, but she makes the debates real,” said one source close to the show. “Take her away, and you’ve got less drama, less tension—and maybe less reason to watch.”

Still, the whispers persist. And with Watters now standing as Fox’s most valuable asset, his influence looms over the decision. Allies say he has little patience for losing momentum, and if executives believe swapping Tarlov for Ford guarantees smoother sailing and even higher ratings, the choice may already be made.

Rivals in Ruins, Fox Faces Its Own Reckoning

Outside of Fox, the collapse of CNN and MSNBC has been nothing short of catastrophic. CNN, still struggling with leadership crises and brand identity, could not place even one program in the Top 15. Its anchors remain largely absent from the national conversation, a humiliation for a network that once branded itself “the most trusted name in news.”

MSNBC fared only slightly better. With one program barely clinging to relevance in the ratings chart, the network is a shadow of its former self, unable to mount any credible challenge to Fox’s dominance. Insiders at both networks admit morale is at rock bottom, with some staff openly questioning whether a turnaround is even possible.

Adding to their despair is the meteoric rise of Greg Gutfeld. Once derided by critics as a sideshow, his late-night program “Gutfeld!” now regularly beats Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Fallon, and Jimmy Kimmel. The idea that a conservative comedian could topple the traditional kings of late-night television once seemed laughable. Now, it is reality.

For Fox, these victories come with a new burden: managing success. A network this dominant risks not complacency, but internal implosion. And the fate of Jessica Tarlov may be the first major test. Does Fox double down on its proven formula of fiery clashes, or does it attempt to broaden appeal by replacing its sharpest liberal voice with a smoother, more diplomatic figure like Harold Ford Jr.?

This is not merely about one host’s future. It is about the identity of the network itself.

What Comes Next

In the end, the question is not whether Fox is winning. It is how it chooses to wield its victory. “The Five” is no longer just a program; it is the crown jewel of cable news, the single most valuable franchise in the industry. Every decision about its future will ripple outward, shaping Fox’s trajectory and, by extension, the media landscape of America.

Jessica Tarlov remains in her chair for now, sparring nightly with her colleagues, drawing both scorn and praise in equal measure. But the whispers have already poisoned the air. Some allies say she feels surrounded, unsure whether her role is secure or whether her every word is being measured against a secret timetable for her replacement. “They told me I was safe,” one insider quoted her as saying, “but now I see the knives out.”

For Harold Ford Jr., the path is clear. He does not need to fight for the chair. If the decision comes, it will not be because he demanded it, but because the executives decided his style was better suited to the empire Fox is now building.

The television world waits with bated breath. Will Fox protect the fiery debates that made it number one, or will it sacrifice drama for polish in pursuit of an even broader conquest? What began as a ratings report has now morphed into a Shakespearean drama of loyalty, betrayal, and ambition.

One thing is certain: the story of Jessica Tarlov and “The Five” is far from over. And when the final decision comes, it could redefine not just a program, but the future of cable news itself.