Fox News gives Jesse Watters weekday prime-time show

Jesse Watters is getting his own prime-time show on Fox News.

The network announced on Monday that it had selected Watters, a longtime Fox News host and personality, to anchor its newly created prime-time, opinion-based show at 7 p.m., which will be called "Jesse Watters Primetime."

"Jesse's versatility and hosting acumen has grown exponentially over the last five years, and he has developed a deep connection to the audience through two hit shows The Five and Watters' World," Suzanne Scott, the CEO of Fox News Media, said in a statement. "We look forward to watching him expand his connection even further through this new solo weeknight hour."

Watters will remain a co-host of "The Five," but relinquish his current weekend program "Watters' World," the network said.

"I'm thrilled to take on this new challenge and am grateful for the opportunity," he said.

Watters joined Fox News in 2002 as a production assistant on Bill O'Reilly's show and has risen through the ranks at the conservative-friendly media giant over the last two decades, becoming one of its most recognizable hosts.

In 2017, he was named a solo host of the 8 p.m. Saturday night show, "Watters' World," and was hired as a co-host of "The Five" later that year.

Watters generated headlines last month after Anthony Fauci, the nation's leading infectious diseases doctor, called for Fox to fire him after comments Watters made at an event for a conservative grassroots organization suggesting activists ambush Fauci and attack his credibility.

In a statement following Fauci's remark, Fox defended its host, saying: "Based on watching the full clip and reading the entire transcript, it's more than clear that Jesse Watters was using a metaphor for asking hard-hitting questions to Dr. Fauci about gain-of-function research and his words have been twisted completely out of context."

Last January, Fox announced it would revamp its daytime news programing and add the 7 p.m. hour to its slate of highly rated opinion shows.

Over the last year, "Fox News Primetime," as the network has called its 7 p.m. show on an interim basis since moving Martha MacCallum to the 3 p.m. slot, has featured a rotating cast of hosts, contributors and network personalities.

Watters's new show will launch on Jan. 24.