Jeanine Pirro gave an emotional opening statement on her final show after eleven years as host of “Justice with Judge Jeanine.”
She said: “Eleven years ago, Justice with Judge Jeanine began, hosted by a former prosecutor, judge, and D.A. sitting not in a courtroom with armed deputies, but instead in a studio armed with teleprompters, monitors, and a dedicated staff and crew.
“The mission was a familiar one: finding truth and justice — the jury bigger, though. In fact, a national one, thus bringing you truth, justice and the American way.
“Each and every week, we watched events unfold in America together through the lens of this studio.
“When we started this journey, we were all a bit younger, but not as wise as we are now.
“We were certainly more optimistic.
“I thank you for fighting for me, and you know who you are.
“So as we reach the end of this journey, don’t think you’re getting rid of me just yet.
“’ll be going to the number one show on all of cable news this Monday, “The Five,” right here on Fox, so you’ll be able to see me five days a week.
“I will continue to fight for all of you, to make my views known, to make my arguments clear and to fight for the America that we all know and love.
“I’ll be sitting there looking out for you, as always, and hopefully you’ll be right there looking back at me,” she said.
JUDGE JEANINE’S FINAL OPENING STATEMENT: “I will continue to fight for all of you, make my views known and fight for the America that we all know and love. I’ll be sitting there looking out for you as always and hopefully you’ll be there looking right back at me.” pic.twitter.com/k7GI46CdnN
— Jeanine Pirro (@JudgeJeanine) January 23, 2022
Judge Jeanine Pirro will move to her new permanent home at Fox News co-hosting the hit show ‘The Five.’ She will take the spot vacated by Kimberly Guilfoyle.
“The Five continues to be a beloved show by the American audience,” said Fox News CEO Suzanne Scott.
“Each of the co-hosts are accomplished and insightful talent with diverse opinions and terrific chemistry who will certainly help drive this ensemble program going forward.”
Fox News issued a press release announcing the move:
“FOX News Channel’s (FNC) The Five has added Jeanine Pirro as full-time show co-host along with a rotation of Harold Ford Jr., Geraldo Rivera, and Jessica Tarlov as the co-hosts for the liberal seat, announced Suzanne Scott, CEO of FOX News Media. The moves will take place effective January 24th.
“Pirro, Ford, Rivera and Tarlov will co-host alongside powerhouse homegrown stars Greg Gutfeld, Dana Perino and Jesse Watters.
“The Five has ruled the timeslot for a decade as the number one show in both cable and all of cable news at 5 PM/ET. In the most recent 4th Quarter of 2021, The Five dominated with 3.3 million total viewers and second overall in the 25-54 demo with 481,000 — the first time ever in cable news history that a non-primetime program achieved this milestone for a full quarter.
“The smash hit also topped all daytime and primetime programming on CNN and MSNBC for the entire year of 2021, delivering the second largest audience in cable news with 2.9 million viewers and 423,000 in the 25-54 demo, again making it the only non-primetime show to rank among the top five programs in the genre while notching its second highest ranking in the show’s history.
“Judge Pirro has substitute co-hosted The Five since 2020. She joined the network in 2006 as a legal analyst and began hosting her weekend program Justice with Judge Jeanine in 2011, which has been the top-rated program in its Saturday evening 9 PM/ET time slot throughout its 11-year run.
“Pirro will relinquish hosting the program effective January 22nd to meet the demands of being elevated to a live five-day a week show, and a new weekend line-up replacing both Justice and Watters’ World (vacated by Jesse Watters moving to weeknights at 7 PM/ET) will be announced at a later date.
“She will continue hosting Castles USA on FOX News Media’s streaming service FOX Nation, where she dives into the rich history of iconic castles all around the country.
“Prior to joining FNC, Pirro was the host of a syndicated weekday court show distributed by Warner Brothers, for which she won an Emmy award.
“Her legal career spans over 30 years, during which she was elected Westchester County District Attorney for three consecutive terms. She was the first woman to prosecute murder cases and started the first domestic violence unit in a prosecutor’s office in the country as Westchester’s assistant district attorney.
“In 1990, Pirro was elected as the first woman to serve as a Westchester County Court judge. She was appointed by then-Governor George Pataki to chair the New York State Commission on Domestic Violence Fatality Review Board in 1997, whose research assisted in passing increased protection for domestic violence victims,” the statement said.
