Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Megyn Kelly
Discover the career path of Megyn Kelly, from the first major opportunity to industry-changing achievements.
Megyn Kelly is an American journalist, attorney, political commentator, and media personality. Known for her work at Fox News (2004-2017) where she hosted programs like America Live and The Kelly File, and later at NBC News (2017-2018) with Megyn Kelly Today. Currently, she hosts The Megyn Kelly Show, a talk show and podcast on SiriusXM's Triumph channel and YouTube. In 2025, Kelly launched MK Media, a podcast and video network. She has been recognized as one of Time's 100 most influential people in both 2014 and 2025.
1996: Co-wrote Article for American Bar Association
In the fall of 1996, Megyn Kelly co-wrote an article titled "The Conflicting Roles of Lawyer as Director" for the American Bar Association's journal, Litigation.
2003: Hired by WJLA-TV
In 2003, Megyn Kelly moved to Washington, D.C., and was hired by the ABC affiliate WJLA-TV as a general assignment reporter.
2004: Applied for Job at Fox News
In 2004, Megyn Kelly applied for a job at Fox News.
2004: Joined Fox News
In 2004, Megyn Kelly began working at Fox News, where she hosted programs like America Live and The Kelly File.
2004: Covered Presidential Election
In 2004, Megyn Kelly covered the presidential election for WJLA-TV.
February 1, 2010: Began Hosting America Live
On February 1, 2010, Megyn Kelly began hosting her own two-hour afternoon show, America Live, on Fox News, replacing The Live Desk.
December 2010: Hosted New Year's Eve Special
In December 2010, Megyn Kelly hosted a New Year's Eve special with Bill Hemmer on Fox News.
2010: Hosted America Live
From 2010 to 2013, Kelly hosted America Live on Fox News.
July 2013: Left America Live
In July 2013, Megyn Kelly left America Live and took maternity leave before starting her new show.
2013: Hosted The Kelly File
From 2013 to 2017, Kelly hosted The Kelly File, which focused on breaking news and political events, on Fox News.
June 2015: Interviewed Duggar Family
In June 2015, Megyn Kelly interviewed Jim Bob Duggar and Michelle Duggar of 19 Kids and Counting regarding their son Josh Duggar's alleged molestation of five girls in 2002.
August 6, 2015: Republican Party Presidential Debate
On August 6, 2015, during a Republican Party presidential debate, Megyn Kelly questioned Donald Trump, leading to media and political reactions and criticism from Trump.
March 2016: Announced Prime Time Special
In March 2016, it was announced that Megyn Kelly would host a one-hour prime time special on the Fox network to interview celebrities from various fields.
May 2016: Aired Prime Time Special
In May 2016, Megyn Kelly's one-hour prime time special aired on Fox, acquiring 4.8 million viewers but placing third in the ratings. The special was seen as crucial for her career prospects.
September 2016: Collaboration on Embeds Announced
In September 2016, it was reported that Megyn Kelly would collaborate with Michael De Luca to produce Embeds, a scripted comedy about reporters covering politics, for a streaming service.
November 15, 2016: Release of autobiography, Settle for More
On November 15, 2016, Megyn Kelly's autobiography, titled Settle for More, was released.
2016: Moderated Presidential Primary Debates
During the 2016 and 2024 election cycles, Megyn Kelly moderated several presidential primary debates.
January 6, 2017: Final Episode of The Kelly File
On January 6, 2017, the last episode of The Kelly File aired, marking Megyn Kelly's departure from Fox News.
June 2, 2017: Interviewed Vladimir Putin
On June 2, 2017, Megyn Kelly interviewed Russian president Vladimir Putin at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.
June 4, 2017: Premiere of Sunday Night with Megyn Kelly
On June 4, 2017, NBC's Sunday Night with Megyn Kelly premiered with Kelly's one-on-one interview with Vladimir Putin.
July 2017: Non-Compete Clause Expired
In January 2017 People reported that Megyn Kelly remained under a non-compete clause with Fox until July 2017, preventing her from working for a competitor until the clause expired, unless canceled prior.
September 2017: Premiere of Megyn Kelly Today
In September 2017, Megyn Kelly Today, Kelly's daytime talk show, premiered.
2017: Joined Dateline NBC
In 2017, Kelly was paid reportedly between $15 million and $20 million a year at NBC. Kelly also joined Dateline NBC during that year.
2018: Sunday Night with Megyn Kelly Hiatus
After an initial run of eight episodes in the summer of 2017, NBC announced Sunday Night with Megyn Kelly would return in spring 2018 after a hiatus for football and the Winter Olympics, but only periodically. However, this return never materialized.
January 2019: Left NBC News
In January 2019, Kelly left NBC News and transitioned to independent media with her podcast and online platforms.
September 10, 2020: Launch of Devil May Care Media
On September 10, 2020, Megyn Kelly announced the launch of her media production company, Devil May Care Media, along with her podcast, The Megyn Kelly Show.
September 28, 2020: Premiere of The Megyn Kelly Show
On September 28, 2020, the first episode of Megyn Kelly's podcast, The Megyn Kelly Show, premiered.
July 6, 2021: Podcast Move to SiriusXM Announced
On July 6, 2021, it was announced that The Megyn Kelly Show podcast would move to SiriusXM on September 7, 2021, broadcasting weekdays on the Triumph talk radio channel.
September 7, 2021: The Megyn Kelly Show Moves to SiriusXM
On September 7, 2021, The Megyn Kelly Show moved to SiriusXM, broadcasting weekdays at 12 noon ET on the Triumph talk radio channel, with a video simulcast for SiriusXM subscribers.
November 30, 2023: Appearance in Mr. Birchum announced
On November 30, 2023, Megyn Kelly announced on her show that she would star alongside Danny Trejo, Roseanne Barr, and Adam Carolla in Mr. Birchum, a Daily Wire adult animated comedy series.
December 6, 2023: Co-hosting Republican primary debate
On December 6, 2023, Megyn Kelly co-hosted the fourth Republican primary debate on NewsNation alongside Elizabeth Vargas and Eliana Johnson, marking her return to moderating presidential debates since her time at Fox News.
November 4, 2024: Public endorsement of Donald Trump
On November 4, 2024, the day before the 2024 presidential election, Megyn Kelly publicly endorsed Donald Trump at a rally in Pittsburgh, citing his policies on women's rights, border security, immigration, and transgender athletes in women's sports.
2024: Moderated Presidential Primary Debates
During the 2016 and 2024 election cycles, Megyn Kelly moderated several presidential primary debates.
January 2025: Attendance at Trump's second inauguration
In January 2025, Megyn Kelly attended Donald Trump's second inauguration and delivered remarks on stage at his rally the night before.
February 18, 2025: Launch of AM Update with Megyn Kelly podcast
On February 18, 2025, Megyn Kelly announced the launch of her second podcast, AM Update with Megyn Kelly, which premiered on February 19 and features a daily digest format summarizing major headlines.
March 2025: Launch of MK Media network
In March 2025, Megyn Kelly launched MK Media, a podcast and video network focused on news and entertainment, featuring shows like Next Up with Mark Halperin, The Nerve with Maureen Callahan, and Spot On with Link Lauren.
May 6, 2025: Podcast ranking
On May 6, 2025, Kelly's podcast ranked 3rd in top right-wing podcasts by subscribers for Q1, with the most YOY % growth at 176%.
June 2025: MK Media expands with new show
In June 2025, MK Media expanded its lineup with the launch of After Party with Emily Jashinsky, adding to the existing shows on the network.
November 2025: YouTube channel reaches 4 million subscribers
As of November 2025, Megyn Kelly's YouTube channel has over 4 million subscribers, becoming one of the top ten podcasts in the U.S.
2025: Launched MK Media
In 2025, Megyn Kelly launched MK Media, a podcast and video network.
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