Geraldo Rivera Quits FOX After Being Fired From 'The Five' Following Off-Air Drama With Greg Gutfeld
Fox News host Geraldo Rivera has left the network after being fired from The Five. The 79-year-old television personality quit the conservative news network after a 23-year run on the heels of RadarOnline.com exclusively revealing that his “knockdown drag-out fights" with Fox favorite Greg Gutfeld cost him his Five gig.
Rivera — who turns 80 next week — appeared unbothered about his unemployment, announcing the news in a cheerful video while taking a joyride in New York on his boat.
“So it doesn’t look like I’m going to be on The Five. I mean, I’m not going to be on The Five. I’ve been fired from The Five. And as a result of that. I quit Fox," he told his followers Thursday on Twitter. "So I’ll have more to say about that on Fox and Friends tomorrow morning."
He paired the video with an equally unfazed caption. "Bumpy day on the North Atlantic. Anyway, I got fired from @TheFive so I quit Fox. After 23 years tomorrow Fox and Friends could be my last appearance on the network. Thanks for the memories," Rivera wrote.
A Fox spokesperson tells RadarOnline.com: “We reached an amicable conclusion with Geraldo over the past few weeks and look forward to celebrating him on Fox & Friends Friday morning which will be his last appearance on the network.”
Serving as one of the only liberal personalities on Fox eventually took its toll as sources told RadarOnline.com that he found himself butting heads with the network's rising star, Gutfeld.
“Geraldo and Greg do not get along,” an insider spilled. “That is obvious to anyone who watches The Five. But what people didn’t see on television is how often that tension spilled over to off-the-camera.
“There is no love lost between Geraldo and Greg, that is for certain.”
- Real Reason Geraldo Rivera Left ‘The Five’: Veteran Fox News Star in ‘Knockdown Drag-out Fights’ OFF-AIR With New Network Favorite Greg Gutfeld
- Geraldo Rivera Ditches 'The Five' on Fox News, 'Growing Tension' Compelled TV Veteran to Make His Exit
- Off-Air Drama: Geraldo Rivera Called Greg Gutfeld 'An Insulting Punk' and a 'Thin-Skinned ... Crybaby' Months Before 'Humiliating' Firing
“Geraldo was once the favorite of Fox — but he doesn’t have that role anymore,” added the source. “Greg is the new king of Fox News having dominated the late-night timeslot with his show Gutfeld!
“Being at the top of your game ensures you have network bosses eating out the palm of his hands! In this power struggle, Gutfeld won.”
Another television insider said their off-air tension caused a divide in the newsroom.
“When the tension between Greg and Geraldo spilled from on-air to off-air —and people were forced to pick a side —it came down to choosing between a Fox News stalwart or the future of Fox News. And Greg had the overwhelming backing."
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Rivera had served on The Five panel since January last year, sharing his role with commentator Jessica Tarlov and former U.S. Rep. Harold Ford Jr.
“It has been a rocky ride but it has also been an exhilarating adventure that spanned quite a few years,” he told The Associated Press on Wednesday. “I hope it’s not my last adventure.”
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