Fox News Parts Ways With Host Heather Childers After She Coughs On Air Igniting COVID-19 Scare

Heather Childers will not be returning to host her 4 a.m. hour of Fox & Friends First at Fox News after a COVID-19 scare in March. Childers, who had been a part of Fox News since 2012, was taken off the air when she came into work and appeared visibly sick both on and off camera during the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic. 

A Fox spokeswoman said, “Fox News and Heather Childers have parted ways. We wish her all the best.”

During the first days of the pandemic, Fox News has received a lot of backlash for downplaying the severity of the virus. However, in the week of March 16, when New York went into lockdown, Fox took precautions by implementing rules such as a limit on how many people are allowed in the headquarters and creating a way for employees to work from home. 

On March 18, Childers went into work and was visibly sick, but explained later on Twitter that she had gone to the doctor after work and was fine. She hosted her hour of Fox & Friends First  on March 19. By March 20, Fox had taken Childers off the air. 

As time passed, Childers took to Twitter to try and lobby for her job back. On March 31, she tweeted, “I had gone to a dr to make sure I had no fever or cough of concern after coughing & sneezing on air. Never went to work feeling sick. I sent those results showing no temp or cough. Was then told Covid19 test would most helpful. Negative.”

On April 6, she revealed that she had been tested for COVID-19 twice and was negative on both occasions. 

On April 19, she stated, “Starting Week 5 sitting at home & not anchoring @FoxFriendsFirst at 4AM for you. Sorry I won’t be there again after 25+ years as a journalist. @realDonaldTrump please get us all back to work. Negative #Covid19 or any testing is worthless if ignored by employers & municipalities.” 

By July, Childers had removed any mention of Fox from her social media platforms and began to share media from Fox rivals instead.