Brian Kilmeade: “It’s time for a new day.” Yesterday, former View co-host Elisabeth Hasselbeck succeeded Gretchen Carlson as the new queen of the curvy couch. After being unceremoniously snubbed by Gretch Friday, Elisabeth returned the favor by not even alluding to her predecessor (even re the segments on the new Miss America winner): The return slight was made all the more conspicuous since Gretchen was excitedly celebrating her silver anniversary as Miss America. Perhaps, Elisabeth was simply letting the past be the past: After all, FNC had just created a new studio for the “high maintenance” lovely according to Judge Andrew Napolitano.*
The Survivor siren definitely has the potential to be a successful F&F co-host: She’s bright, tough, and beautiful–and she certainly has the requisite gorgeous gams to boot. Furthermore, she surely has the right mentality about the F&F family but she took the metaphor a mite too far in her tease preview vid when she deemed her co-hosts Steve Doocy and Brian Kilmeade to be like “my brothers”: obviously, F&F uses sexual tension, real or feigned, between the boys and the gal to help propel ratings.
But, apparently, as Brian said in the opening to the latest F&F iteration Monday, “It’s time for a new day.” Hopefully, F&F can keep its natural feel and flow even with the new gal and the new set (that looks somewhat like the one at CNN’s New Day re the imposing window and gigantic couch, ironically). However, if it assumes a highbrow Upper East Side vibe, its more humble flyover fans may be less apt to follow as assiduously as they usually do.
Good luck, Elisabeth! And, welcome to the show!
[Author’s aside: Elisabeth jokingly referred to herself as “high maintenance” when Judge Napolitano suggested that FNC had built a new F&F studio for the blond beauty.]
*Fox & Friends – 09/16/13 (@ 6:36 a.m. ET)
Tags: Brian Kilmeade, CNN, Elisabeth Hasselbeck, FNC, Fox & Friends, Fox and Friends, Fox News, Gretchen Carlson, Judge Andrew Napolitano, Miss America, New Day, Steve Doocy, Survivor
Carpe Diem 
September 17, 2013 at 6:36 pm
Jake, I’m surprised you didn’t mention the return of the newsreader, which is something you’ve been campaigning for. It was Heather Nauert the first two days.
September 17, 2013 at 7:25 pm
Motownman, you’re right: I’m glad to see the return of F&F’s newsreader. Re Heather, I think that she may well be the permanent choice since she (and Maria) welcomed the co-hosts to the new studio–as if Shine were signalling the new F&F crew.
September 17, 2013 at 8:55 pm
I LOVED Elizabeth on The View. She’s articulate, smart, well informed and of course, a beautiful blonde. But .. I have a VERY hard time understanding what she is saying. She talks so fast that sounds garbled to me. I know part of that is my aging hearing, but I never had a problem understanding Gretchen.i wonder if she is talking faster and more high pitched because she is nervous. I hope it gets better because as it has been the last 2 days, I have had to rely on closed caption.
Pulling for you
Elizabeth. (I go wonder why Alyson wasn’t given that spot???
September 17, 2013 at 9:01 pm
Yes, her voice is squeaky and she talks too fast. Don’t care for the big window behind the hosts.
September 17, 2013 at 9:30 pm
Oh my Pam. We’re on the exact same page on both your points.
I emailed Barbara Walters a long time ago suggesting she ask EH to speak more slowly because a lot of older people watch The View and need closed caption to understand her.
On your other point, I posted a comment on Mediaite a week ago, “Will Roger Ailes end up with buyer’s remorse for not selecting Alisyn Camerota instead?”
September 19, 2013 at 7:49 am
It looks like Heather N is the permanent newsreader.
It also looks like Ainsley and Heather C are the permanent F&FF team.
The only question left is the other hour show with Gretchen.
However that turns out, I’m betting Aly goes to days and Anna Kooiman takes over on F&FW.
September 19, 2013 at 9:06 am
I love the new energy the show has.. Elizabeth is a great addition to the team.. Gretchen who? I wish the newreader was Aimsley…HN flubs it too much..
September 19, 2013 at 9:46 am
Frannie, I tend to concur with you. Heather has seemed rather tightly wound as the F&F newsreader. Re Ainsley, the airy Southern belle probably would be a more facile fit with Steve, Brian, & Elisabeth.
September 19, 2013 at 4:44 pm
Please not anna. She cannot hold,her own on serious news days. Tucker and Clayton cannot believe what she says sometimes. Allyson is number one.
September 19, 2013 at 6:05 pm
Just be thankful it`s not Courtney friel, she`s KTLA`s problem now.
September 20, 2013 at 5:50 pm
In agreement with all about Elisabeth and even hard to understand. She is so lucky to have such sweet funny good professionals like Brian and Steve at her side. We ALL know though that Aly is the absolute queen of Fox News . No one prettier, smarter, skilled, or a joy to watch than her. No one. Btw Tucker is a real heavyweight on FFweekend. Good choice, Roger.
September 21, 2013 at 8:36 am
I’m not a fan of Heather Nauert never have been. I think if we had a
more experienced person rather than Elisabeth there would be no need for a newsreader. I’m afraid the first big live serious story Elisabeth won’t be up to the job and Ally would have been.
September 21, 2013 at 1:19 pm
Ali is the best, the woman never puts a foot wrong, the job should have been hers.
September 21, 2013 at 11:14 pm
i realized the other day that elizabeth is definitely hard to hear. I can’t imagine that older people can hear her because she speaks in a sing-song-y voice and says many things almost under her breath. Aly would have been perfect. Perhaps Elizabeth will learn with time. Gretchen did seem to realized that she was also on radio (Sirius), too, so she spoke clearly and distinctly.
September 25, 2013 at 3:07 pm
Aly and Hemmer at 1 p.m., Gretchen at 2 p.m. starting Monday
With Ainsley and Heather C apparently the permanent hosts of F&FF, the only thing undecided is F&FW
My money is on Anna K for that
Congratulations to Aly
http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/the-real-story-with-gretchen-carlson-to-debut-at-2-pm-on-fox-news-september-30_b198032
September 25, 2013 at 5:22 pm
No announcement has been made
But I checked the F&FF page at foxnews.com and the bios of Heather Nauert and PAB have been removed, leaving the bios of Ainsley and Heather C
That makes it official
Congratulations to them!!!
So well deserved
Too bad Boogie doesn’t frequent this board anymore so I could accept his apolofy
September 25, 2013 at 6:22 pm
So great to see Ali finally getting her own weekday show.Anyone know if Fox are going to keep showing the Fox report on the weekends ?.
November 23, 2015 at 6:41 pm
[…] co-hosts, Steve Doocy and Brian Kilmeade. In contrast, Elisabeth was the sweet married hottie that put her boys on the curvy couch on notice from the start that she considered them […]