Juan Williams, one of the original co-hosts of Fox News Channel’s The Five, is leaving the program. Williams revealed the decision on Wednesday’s show.
Williams has been The Five‘s most frequent Democratic co-host, having joined the program at launch in 2011 as a back-up co-host, becoming a regular a few years later. He will continue to serve as a Fox News senior political analyst. With the show set to return to the studio June 1, Williams chose to stay close to home in Washington, D.C., rather than commute to New York.
“As Juan Williams announced on-air today, he will be leaving The Five to live in Washington, D.C., full time. We are incredibly grateful for his commitment to the show and its success over the last several years,” said Megan Albano, vp for The Five and weekend programming, in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter. “As we started planning The Five’s return to its New York City studio at our headquarters a few months ago, Juan decided to stay in Washington, D.C., permanently. We accommodated his request, understanding and appreciating his desire to remain closer to his family and recognizing that a remote co-hosting role on a roundtable in-studio program was not a long-term option. While we will miss his insightful contributions each night and look forward to welcoming him on set whenever he’s in New York, we are pleased to have him continue his longtime role as a senior political analyst with Fox News Media.”
The show features a rotating cast of co-hosts from across Fox’s lineup (including regulars Dana Perino, Greg Gutfeld and Jesse Watters), discussing the day’s political stories in a freewheeling format.
