Longtime Fox & Friends co-host Steve Doocy has announced that he will be taking a slight step back and moving to a new role with the network.
Doocy, who has co-hosted Fox News’ flagship morning show since its inception nearly 30 years ago, will transition to a new gig as the dedicated host of the remote assignments Fox & Friends is known for over the years.
Ainsley Earhardt, Lawrence Jones, and Brian Kilmeade will host the show from its New York City studios while Doocy will appear remotely from Florida.
“Well, for the last 30 years, when my alarm clock goes off at 3:30, if it wakes up my wife Kathy, she always says, ‘It’s time to make the donuts.’ And I say, ‘You’re right, it’s time to make the donuts.’ And I get up and I go to work. You know how many mornings my alarm has gone off at 3:30? Well, according to AI, 6,828 times. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is a lot of donuts. It is a great job, but the hours suck. (Laughter) Ainsley and I have talked about this for years, about how hard it is to dash back from wherever we are on the weekends to be live on this couch at 6 A.M. on Monday,” Doocy said, choking up and getting emotional.
“But we have to because the curvy couch is an important part of the show. Which brings me to this public service announcement. 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. Suzanne Scott, the CEO of Fox News Media and a friend of mine for over 30 years and I have been trying to figure out what a guy who’s been getting up at 3:30 for two generations should do next. And Suzanne gave me a great option, to keep working on this show, just not every day,” Doocy said.
“So from now on, I am working three days a week. Essentially, it’s the Johnny Carson show deal. Remember, Johnny worked his three days in Burbank and I will be based in Florida, which means you may never see me in a necktie again. (Laughter) Well, Florida is strategic because it’s going to make it easier for me to report from Florida and other parts of America that don’t get a lot of network airtime. I’ll be going from the Carolinas to the Keys, from Middle America to Mar-a-Lago,” Doocy continued.
Doocy added, “So call me the coast-to-coast host. So when my kids were growing up, I never had breakfast with them. I was always here. Kathy did everything. But starting tomorrow, I’m going to have breakfast with my grandkids and my children whenever I can. I’m transitioning from it’s time to make the donuts to it’s time to make the breakfast, grandpa.”
“Tomorrow, Kathy and I are going to go to D.C. to meet our 2-week old grandson, George, my son, Peter, and his wife, Hillary, and their 2-year old Bridget will get the first batch of coast-to-coast host French toast. And then we’re off to Dallas where Sally and her husband, Ali, just moved into a brand new house with their 2-year old son, Arthur. They needed more space because Sally’s having a boy in July. And L.J. tells me Dallas is really beautiful in the month of July. And my daughter-lawyer, Mary, and her husband, Marshall, always need help with their dog, Peanut, so Gaga and Grandpa are hitting the road to spoil all of our kids and our grandkids,” he said.
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“And as for the cast on the couch, who I love and adore, if this was the last day I’d ever work with you again, the waterworks would be flowing, you know me. But after a little vacation, I’m going to be back on the show via the magic of television, where somewhere, I guarantee you, somebody will ask me, is Ainsley really that sweet,” Doocy added.
