Former Fox News personality Gretchen Carlson has been hired as a special contributor for PEOPLE’s new daily program, PEOPLE (the TV Show!). As a special contributor, Carlson will promote normal people doing extraordinary things. She will serve alongside co-hosts Kay Adams and Lawrence K. Jackson.
“I’m thrilled to be joining the iconic PEOPLE newsroom to bring important stories of inspiring and game-changing individuals to the forefront,” Carlson said in a statement. “It is imperative that we continue to lift the voices of those who are breaking barriers and doing vital work in their communities.”
Carlson started her career in Richmond, VA and eventually landed a gig at the CBS The Saturday Early Show as a co-host and correspondent. She joined Fox News in 2005 and stayed there until 2016, exiting the company amid some controversy. Carlson reportedly won a multi-million dollar lawsuit after late Fox News chief Roger Ailes demoted her and then fired her when she rejected his sexual advances.
“Gretchen is an incredibly talented and resilient person,” said People (the TV Show!) executive producer Rob Silverstein. “She is a champion for women in and out of the workplace, as demonstrated not only by her advocacy, but also by her more than 20-year career as a journalist.”
The Meredith Corporation, which owns and operates PEOPLE, is distributing the show in a handful of markets that include Atlanta, Phoenix, St. Louis, Portland, Nashville and Kansas City.
