Angela Tantaros played a prominent role at Fox News from 2010 to 2016 as a conservative political analyst and original co-host of two major panel shows: The Five and Outnumbered. After rising to national visibility as an outspoken political commentator, her broadcast career at the network ended abruptly in 2016 amid contract disputes and high-profile legal actions alleging workplace harassment and executive retaliation.
Early Career and Transition to Fox News (2010–2011)
Before becoming a familiar face on cable television, Angela Tantaros built her career in political communications and strategy. She worked on Capitol Hill as a press secretary for the House Republican Leadership and served as a communications director for high-profile political campaigns. She also founded a media strategy consulting firm, advising political candidates and corporate clients on public relations and crisis management.
Tantaros joined Fox News Channel in 2010 as a political contributor. During her early period at the network, she made frequent guest appearances across daytime and primetime programming, including The O'Reilly Factor, Hannity, and Fox & Friends. Her political strategy background allowed her to deliver fast-paced, partisan commentary tailored to conservative broadcast audiences.
Her strong on-air presence quickly elevated her standing within the network. At a time when cable news was transitioning from single-anchor monologue formats toward multi-panel ensemble discussions, Tantaros proved adept at navigating cross-talk debate. Recognizing her popularity among viewers, Fox News executives selected her in mid-2011 to join a new ensemble experiment that would reshape the network's afternoon lineup.
Key On-Air Roles at Fox News
The Five (2011–2014)
In July 2011, Fox News launched The Five as a temporary replacement for Glenn Beck, which had occupied the 5:00 p.m. ET time slot. Designed as a round-table discussion featuring five commentators offering opinion and analysis on current events, political controversies, and pop culture, the show was initially planned for a limited summer run.
Tantaros was chosen as one of the original core co-hosts alongside Greg Gutfeld, Eric Bolling, Dana Perino, and Bob Beckel. On the panel, Tantaros served as an unapologetic, sharp-tongued conservative voice. Her commentary often focused on economic policy, media bias, national security, and Democratic administration policies during the Obama presidency.
- THE FIVE (2011 PANEL)
- Angela Tantaros
- Greg Gutfeld
- Eric Bolling
- Dana Perino
- Bob Beckel
The Five quickly delivered strong television ratings, routinely outperforming competing cable news networks in its time slot. Due to its commercial success, Fox News made the show permanent. Tantaros spent nearly three years on The Five, cementing her status as one of the network's top daytime personalities and expanding her reach across national media.
Outnumbered (2014–2016)
In April 2014, Fox News reshuffled its daytime lineup and announced the launch of Outnumbered, an ensemble talk show scheduled for the 12:00 p.m. ET time slot. The show’s premise featured four female panelists and one male guest panelist (referred to on-air as "one lucky guy") discussing top news stories of the day.
Tantaros was reassigned from The Five to serve as a founding co-host of Outnumbered, alongside Harris Faulkner and Sandra Smith, with rotating co-hosts occupying the remaining seats. Moving to Outnumbered placed Tantaros at the center of the network's midday news programming.
On Outnumbered, Tantaros maintained her direct, confrontational style of political analysis. She anchored discussions on breaking political developments, cultural issues, and campaign coverage during the early stages of the 2016 U.S. presidential election cycle. She remained in this role until her sudden removal from television broadcasts in April 2016.
Overview of Tantaros’s Fox News Program Roles
The table below outlines the primary television positions Angela Tantaros held during her tenure at Fox News Channel:
| Program Title | Active Years on Show | Program Format & Time Slot | Key Panelists / Co-Hosts | Primary Focus & Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fox News Contributor | 2010–2011 | Various Primetime / Daytime Segments | Rotating anchors (Hannity, The O'Reilly Factor) | Guest political analysis and strategy commentary |
| The Five | 2011–2014 | Afternoon Roundtable (5:00 PM ET) | Greg Gutfeld, Dana Perino, Eric Bolling, Bob Beckel | Founding co-host; primary conservative opinion voice |
| Outnumbered | 2014–2016 | Midday Panel (12:00 PM ET) | Harris Faulkner, Sandra Smith, rotating male guest | Founding co-host; daytime political and cultural debate |
Removal From Air and Contract Disputes (2016)
In April 2016, viewers noticed that Angela Tantaros had abruptly disappeared from Outnumbered without an official on-air explanation. Speculation grew as her absence continued for several weeks.
Fox News released a statement asserting that Tantaros had been taken off the air due to contract issues related to her book, Tied Up in Knots: White Lies, Democratic Fallacies, and the Bold Reality of What Women Want, published in April 2016 by Broadside Books. Network representatives claimed Tantaros had published the book without receiving proper contractual clearance and approval from Fox News executives regarding its cover design and promotional activities.
Tantaros and her legal team strongly contested this explanation, alleging that the contract dispute was a pretext. According to Tantaros, her removal from the air was direct retaliation by network executives for internal complaints she had made regarding workplace misconduct and sexual harassment.
Lawsuits and Workplace Misconduct Allegations
In August 2016, Angela Tantaros filed a lawsuit in New York State Supreme Court against Fox News, network chairman Roger Ailes, executive Bill Shine, and other senior officials. Her legal complaint came shortly after former anchor Gretchen Carlson filed a landmark sexual harassment suit against Ailes in July 2016, which ultimately led to Ailes's resignation from the network.
Core Allegations in the Complaint
Tantaros’s suit detailed numerous allegations concerning the internal culture at Fox News:
- Harassment Claims: She alleged that Roger Ailes subjected her to inappropriate comments regarding her appearance, made sexually suggestive remarks, and demanded physical interactions during private office meetings.
- Executive Retaliation: The suit claimed that after Tantaros reported Ailes's behavior to senior executives—including Bill Shine, who then served as executive vice president of programming—her complaints were dismissed, and she was urged not to pursue the matter.
- Demotion and Isolation: Tantaros alleged that her transfer in 2014 from The Five to Outnumbered was an initial retaliatory demotion meant to reduce her visibility, followed by a campaign to limit her guest appearances on high-profile primetime shows.
- On-Air Misconduct Allegations: In addition to claims against Ailes, her complaint alleged inappropriate comments and conduct by other network commentators and guests during her tenure.
Timeline of Key Events:
- [2010] Joins Fox News as Contributor
- [2011] Helps Launch "The Five" as Co-Host
- [2014] Reassigned to Co-Host "Outnumbered"
- [Apr 2016] Suspended / Removed from Air (Contract Dispute Cited)
- [Aug 2016] Files Workplace Misconduct & Harassment Lawsuit
Subsequent Legal Proceedings and Federal Claims
The legal battle between Tantaros and Fox News developed across multiple court venues:
- Arbitration Motions: Fox News moved to compel arbitration, citing employment contract clauses requiring internal, confidential resolution of workplace disputes.
- Federal Lawsuits: In 2017, Tantaros filed an additional federal lawsuit alleging that Fox News and its executives engaged in a campaign of electronic surveillance, computer hacking, and social media intimidation to target her following her initial complaints.
- Court Rulings: Federal courts dismissed the federal surveillance claims in 2018, citing a lack of sufficient factual evidence to support the wiretapping and hacking allegations. Other elements of the dispute were directed toward confidential arbitration per employment contract provisions.
Despite the legal complexities and mixed court outcomes, Tantaros's claims contributed significantly to public scrutiny of corporate governance, executive accountability, and workplace culture at major media networks during the mid-2010s.
Post-Fox Career and Public Activity
Following her departure from Fox News and the resolution of broadcast contracts, Tantaros stepped back from daily national cable news hosting.
She continued to focus on writing, digital media projects, political commentary, and public speaking engagements. Her book, Tied Up in Knots, explored her political philosophy regarding gender dynamics, conservative feminism, and government policy. Her experience became a case study frequently referenced in broader journalism surrounding media industry employment practices, non-disclosure agreements (NDAs), and mandatory arbitration clauses.
Frequently Asked Questions
What show did Angela Tantaros host on Fox News?
Angela Tantaros was an original co-host of two flagship panel programs on Fox News: The Five (2011–2014) in the late-afternoon slot and Outnumbered (2014–2016) in the midday slot. She also appeared as a frequent political analyst across programs like Hannity and The O'Reilly Factor.
Why was Angela Tantaros taken off the air in 2016?
Fox News officially stated she was suspended for violating her contract by publishing her book, Tied Up in Knots, without executive clearance. Tantaros denied this, claiming the suspension was retaliation for making internal sexual harassment complaints against network executives.
Who did Angela Tantaros sue?
In August 2016, Tantaros filed a lawsuit in New York State Supreme Court against Fox News Channel, former network CEO Roger Ailes, executive Bill Shine, and other management personnel, alleging sexual harassment, workplace discrimination, and executive retaliation.
What was the result of Angela Tantaros's legal action?
Her legal battles involved complex jurisdiction decisions. While a federal lawsuit alleging electronic surveillance was dismissed by a federal judge in 2018 for insufficient evidence, her core employment disputes were subjected to mandatory, confidential arbitration as stipulated by standard network employment contracts.
Is Angela Tantaros still on Fox News?
No. Angela Tantaros was taken off the air in April 2016, and her official employment relationship with Fox News Channel ended during the legal proceedings that followed later that year.
Key Takeaways and Summary
Angela Tantaros was a central figure in Fox News’s daytime and early evening programming strategy during the early 2010s. As a founding co-host of both The Five and Outnumbered, she helped popularize multi-panel political opinion formats that remain core to cable news schedules today. Her career at the network serves as both a reflection of dynamic political broad-panel broadcasting and a key chapter in the high-profile legal transformation of cable news industry workplace standards during 2016.
