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Fifteen years after launching as a temporary fix, Fox News' The Five has grown into the most-watched show in cable news - and according to liberal co-host Jessica Tarlov, the heated debates viewers see on screen don't tell the whole story.
Tarlov revealed that despite frequent clashes with conservative co-hosts Jesse Watters and Greg Gutfeld, there is regular communication behind the scenes, especially after tense moments.
"I think there's also an, a level of openness amongst the co-hosts where you could actually speak to someone about something that was bothering you and we've had those conversations," Tarlov said. "We're all in regular contact with each other. But when something has been upsetting, I've spoken to Greg about it, I've spoken to Jesse about it, and Greg has definitely checked in on me about how I feel about something that transpired on air." Her comments came after the show brought in a replacement for Watters yesterday.
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"I put in the work, I think, to understand how they see it, and likewise I think a good 99% of the time that's reciprocated in understanding my perspective," she told People.
The show, which debuted on July 11, 2011, was never meant to last. Former White House press secretary Dana Perino recalled getting the call while waiting at baggage claim at Dulles International Airport, asking if she would temporarily join a panel show for a few weeks.
"I would just say yes, I loved it. That was the favorite part of my day. But I never thought I would live in New York," Perino said. "I thought that I would just do some hits once in a while when a topic came up that I was familiar with."
That short-term plan turned into a long-running success. Today, The Five averages more than 3.8 million viewers, outperforming competing shows on CNN and MSNBC in the same time slot.
The premise has remained based on four conservatives and one liberal debating the day's news, then returning the next day to do it again. According to Perino, the dynamic is similar to a daily political family dinner.
"We do these segments leading up to Thanksgiving every year. It's like, 'Oh, how to talk to your family because your crazy uncle, the Republican, is going to be there,'" she said. "Like imagine having that dinner every day at 5 o'clock? If you dreaded it, it would be a miserable experience."
"But I think that we have helped show Americans how they can have these fun conversations at the dinner table," she added.
Tarlov, who joined the show in 2022, said she sees her role as helping represent a different political audience than Fox's typical viewership.
"I think by finding an entrance into the show, whether it's through me or Juan [Williams] before me and Harold, et cetera, or just having it on for a little bit, they thought like, 'Oh, this is something I can actually jam with,'" she said. "I have the coolest job in media for a liberal, just hands down."
She added that her goal is for viewers to "see how we really are mirroring the complexity of modern American political life."
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