Ainsley Earhardt is an American television host and author best known as a co-host of Fox & Friends on Fox News Channel.
She joined Fox News in 2007 and became a full co-host of Fox & Friends in 2016, going on to write four New York Times bestselling books alongside her broadcasting career.
Who is Ainsley Earhardt?
Ainsley Earhardt is an American conservative television host, journalist, and author. She co-hosts Fox & Friends each weekday morning from 6 to 9 a.m. ET alongside Steve Doocy and Brian Kilmeade.
She also co-hosts Fox & Friends After the Show Show and hosts Ainsley’s Bible Study on Fox Nation.
Her work as an author has produced four New York Times bestselling books, three of them children’s books and one a personal memoir.
Earhardt has conducted exclusive interviews with several high-profile political figures during her time at Fox News, including former President Donald Trump, former First Lady Melania Trump, and former Vice President Mike Pence.
She grew up in the Carolinas and moved to New York City in 2007 after building her career in local television across South Carolina and Texas. Faith and family sit at the center of her public identity.
Early Life of Ainsley Earhardt
Ainsley Hayden Earhardt was born on September 20, 1976, in Spartanburg, South Carolina.
When she was young, her family moved to the Foxcroft area of Charlotte, North Carolina, and later to Columbia, South Carolina, where she spent much of her childhood and teenage years.
Her father, Lewie Wayne Earhardt, worked as a basketball coach at Wofford College before starting his own business.
Her mother, Dale Earhardt, worked as a teacher in the Richland District and passed away on October 22, 2022.
Ainsley has two siblings: an older sister named Elise Giles Earhardt and a younger brother named Trenton Graham Earhardt.
She has spoken often about growing up with strong Southern values and close family ties, which later shaped the themes of her books.
She attended Sharon Elementary School and later Spring Valley High School in the Columbia area, graduating in 1995.
Her grandparents all lived to see her on television, which she has described as a meaningful milestone.
Ainsley Earhardt Age / Birthday
Ainsley Earhardt is 49 years old as of 2026, born on September 20, 1976. Her birthday falls on September 20, just days after this profile’s date.
Her zodiac sign is Virgo, a sign often associated with precision, discipline, and a strong work ethic.
Earhardt will celebrate her 50th birthday on September 20, 2026, shortly after the time of writing.
She joined Fox News at age 30 and became a morning co-host by her early forties.
Ainsley Earhardt Ethnicity and Nationality
Ainsley Earhardt is American by nationality, born and raised in South Carolina. Her ethnic background is White American, with roots from the American South.
Her family has been based in the Carolinas for generations, and she takes pride in her Southern upbringing.
She often draws on that background in conversations about American values, family, and faith on her show.
Ainsley Earhardt Education
After high school, Earhardt enrolled at Florida State University, where she initially studied biology with plans to pursue dentistry.
She soon realized journalism was her true calling and transferred to the University of South Carolina.
At USC, she studied in the College of Journalism and Mass Communications. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in journalism, finishing as one of the top students in her program.
Earhardt began working at WLTX, the local CBS affiliate in Columbia, even before she formally graduated. That early start gave her a significant head start in the field.
In 2025, the University of South Carolina honored her with an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters, recognizing her achievements in broadcast journalism and as an author.
Ainsley Earhardt Career
Ainsley Earhardt’s career in journalism spans more than two decades, beginning in local South Carolina television and building to one of cable news’s most-watched morning shows.
She started her professional path as a morning and noon anchor at WLTX-News 19, the CBS affiliate in Columbia, South Carolina, starting around 1999 to 2000.
Both shows ranked number one in their time slots. That market success earned her Best Personality of the Year recognition from Columbia Metropolitan Magazine.
Early Local Career (2000-2007)
In 2005, Earhardt moved to San Antonio, Texas, where she anchored morning and noon newscasts at KENS-TV under the Eyewitness News brand. Both programs ranked number one in San Antonio during her tenure.
Her reporting from New York on South Carolina middle school students who donated half a million dollars to firefighters after the September 11 attacks drew national attention.
That story demonstrated her ability to connect local and national news with emotional depth.
By 2007, Fox News Channel hired her, and she relocated to New York City.
She initially appeared on several programs, including Hannity, Fox and Friends Weekend, The Live Desk, and Red Eye.
Her Hannity segment, called Ainsley Across America, became a recurring feature.
Fox News and Fox & Friends (2007-2016)
During her first years at Fox News, Earhardt covered major national stories as a correspondent.
Her field coverage included the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010 and the EF5 tornado in Moore, Oklahoma, in 2013.
She also covered Pope Francis’s visit to New York City live, as well as the mass shooting at Emanuel African Methodist Church in Charleston, South Carolina, in 2015.
In May 2018, she reported live from London on the royal wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
In 2016, Fox News promoted Earhardt to full co-host of Fox & Friends, the network’s flagship morning program.
That promotion placed her alongside Steve Doocy and Brian Kilmeade in one of cable television’s most-watched morning time slots.
Current Role (2016-Present)
Since becoming a co-host in 2016, Earhardt has helped drive Fox & Friends to consistently strong morning ratings. The show airs live each weekday from 6 to 9 a.m. ET.
In addition to the main program, she co-hosts Fox & Friends After the Show Show at 9 a.m. ET and hosts Ainsley’s Bible Study on Fox Nation, the network’s streaming subscription service.
Her interviews with political leaders, celebrities, and newsmakers have become a signature part of her Fox News work.
She has sat down with former President Trump on multiple occasions, and her access to top political figures reflects the reach of Fox’s morning programming.
Ainsley Earhardt Books
Earhardt has authored four New York Times bestselling books. Three are children’s books written with her daughter Hayden in mind, and one is a personal memoir.
Her first book, Take Heart, My Child: A Mother’s Dream, appeared in 2016 and sold out within a week and a half of its release.
The second, Through Your Eyes: My Child’s Gift to Me, came out in 2017. Her 2018 memoir, The Light Within Me, covers her faith, her broadcasting career, her divorce, and her journey into motherhood.
Her fourth book, I’m So Glad You Were Born, was published in 2022. All four titles reached the New York Times bestseller list.
Ainsley Earhardt Fiancé
Ainsley Earhardt is engaged to Sean Hannity, host of Hannity on Fox News. Hannity proposed to Earhardt over the Christmas holiday in December 2024 at their home church in Florida, where he walked to the altar and got down on one knee.
The couple announced the engagement on December 26, 2024, saying they were “overjoyed and so thankful to our families for all of their love and support.”
Earhardt and Hannity began their relationship around 2019 after each had finalized their previous divorces.
The pair kept their relationship private for years, with Vanity Fair confirming the romance in 2020.
They maintain a long-distance arrangement during the week, with Earhardt working in New York and Hannity based in Palm Beach, Florida.
She and her daughter fly to Florida most weekends and return on Sunday after church.
Before her relationship with Hannity, Earhardt was married twice. Her first marriage to Kevin McKinney took place in April 2005. The two divorced in 2009.
In October 2012, she married Will Proctor, a former Clemson University quarterback who later worked as a wealth adviser.
Proctor filed for divorce in 2018, and the divorce was finalized in 2019.
Ainsley Earhardt Children
Ainsley Earhardt has one daughter, Hayden Dubose Proctor, born on November 6, 2015. Hayden’s father is Earhardt’s second husband, Will Proctor.
Earhardt has spoken openly about suffering a miscarriage before Hayden’s birth. She and Proctor share custody of Hayden, and Earhardt has described motherhood as the most important part of her life.
Hayden served as the direct inspiration for two of Earhardt’s children’s books. Ainsley wrote Take Heart, My Child before Hayden was born and Through Your Eyes when Hayden was still an infant.
Hayden attends school in New York City and has appeared briefly on Fox & Friends as a newborn, giving viewers a first look at her shortly after she was born.
Ainsley Earhardt Net Worth and Salary
Ainsley Earhardt’s estimated net worth is $8 million as of 2026. Her income comes primarily from her salary at Fox News and the royalties from her four bestselling books.
Salary
Earhardt earns an annual salary of $3 million at Fox News, making her one of the highest-paid female anchors on the network.
That salary reflects nearly two decades at the channel and her prominent role as a daily co-host of the network’s flagship morning program.
Book Royalties
Her four New York Times bestselling books generate ongoing royalty income.
The children’s books, published through Simon & Schuster, have sold hundreds of thousands of copies combined across Amazon and retail channels.
She also sells books directly through her personal website.
Real Estate
Earhardt reportedly owns a home in New York City valued at $2 million. She also travels regularly to Palm Beach, Florida, where she and Hannity have established their life together.
Her income from Fox News, book royalties, and speaking appearances forms a diversified earnings base that supports her estimated net worth of $8 million as of 2026.
Ainsley Earhardt Social Media
Earhardt is active on Instagram under the handle @aearhardt, where she posts about her faith, her daughter, and her work at Fox News.
On X (formerly Twitter), she posts at @ainsleyearhardt, covering news topics and sharing updates from Fox & Friends. Both accounts are verified.
She does not maintain a known TikTok or YouTube channel as of 2026.
Conclusion
Ainsley Earhardt has built a sustained television career across more than two decades, from local anchoring in South Carolina and Texas to co-hosting one of cable news’s most-watched morning programs.
Her four New York Times bestsellers and her 2025 honorary doctorate from the University of South Carolina reflect a career that extends well beyond the anchor desk.