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. She hosts 'The Megyn Kelly Show' on Sirius XM and YouTube. She gained prominence at Fox News (2004-2017), hosting programs like 'America Live' and 'The Kelly File,' and later anchored 'Megyn Kelly Today' at NBC News (2017-2018). Time recognized her as one of the 100 most influential people in 2014 and 2025.

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Controversies & Scandals

1996: Kelly Co-Writes Article for ABA Journal

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, marking an early contribution to legal scholarship.

2003: Kelly Hired by WJLA-TV

In 2003, Megyn Kelly moved to Washington, D.C., and was hired by ABC affiliate WJLA-TV as a general assignment reporter, marking a transition in her career.

2004: Kelly Joins Fox News

In 2004, Megyn Kelly applied for a job at Fox News, marking a turning point in her career in broadcast journalism.

2004: Kelly Covered 2004 Presidential Election

In 2004, Megyn Kelly, as a reporter for WJLA-TV, covered national and local events, including live coverage of the 2004 presidential election.

2005: Trump's Sexual Comments in Audio Recording

In October, Megyn Kelly had a contentious discussion with Newt Gingrich on The Kelly File regarding Donald Trump's sexual comments in a 2005 audio recording, leading to widespread social media reaction. The event occurred in 2005.

February 1, 2010: Kelly Begins Hosting America Live

On February 1, 2010, Megyn Kelly began hosting her own two-hour afternoon show, America Live, which replaced The Live Desk on Fox News, marking a significant step in her career at the network.

December 2010: Kelly Hosts New Year's Eve Special

In December 2010, Megyn Kelly co-hosted a New Year's Eve special with Bill Hemmer on Fox News, marking a special event in her broadcasting career.

2012: Kelly's Coverage of 2012 US Presidential Election Results

In 2012, Megyn Kelly received media attention for her coverage of the results of the United States presidential election, specifically questioning Republican operative Karl Rove's objections to Fox News' projection of Obama winning Ohio.

July 2013: Kelly Leaves America Live

In July 2013, Megyn Kelly left America Live and took maternity leave from Fox News, leading to a change in her broadcasting schedule.

June 2015: Kelly Interviews Duggars on The Kelly File

In June 2015, Megyn Kelly interviewed Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar and their daughters Jill and Jessa regarding their son Josh Duggar's alleged molestation on The Kelly File. The show's Nielsen rating was 3.09 million viewers.

August 6, 2015: Kelly Questions Trump at Republican Debate

On August 6, 2015, at a Republican Party presidential debate, Megyn Kelly asked Donald Trump about his temperament and past insulting remarks toward women, generating media and political reactions and criticism from Trump. This event led to a significant controversy.

2015: Moderated first Republican Party presidential debate

In 2015, Megyn Kelly moderated the first Republican Party presidential debate while at Fox News.

February 2016: Kelly Signs Autobiography Deal with HarperCollins

In February 2016, Megyn Kelly signed an agreement with HarperCollins for over $10 million to write her autobiography.

March 2016: Kelly to Host Prime Time Special on Fox

In March 2016, it was announced that Megyn Kelly would host a one-hour prime time special on the Fox network, interviewing celebrities, marking a special career event.

May 2016: Kelly's Prime Time Special Airs

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 event took place during a sweeps month.

July 2016: Kelly Confirms Ailes' Harassment

In July 2016, amid allegations of sexual harassment against Fox News CEO Roger Ailes, Megyn Kelly confirmed that she had also been subjected to his harassment. This was a significant event.

September 2016: Kelly to Produce Embeds Comedy

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, to be aired on a streaming service. This marked an expansion of her career into production.

November 15, 2016: Release of "Settle for More"

On November 15, 2016, Megyn Kelly's autobiography, titled "Settle for More", was released.

Settle for More

Check it on Amazon

2016: Kelly Moderated Presidential Primary Debates

In 2016, Megyn Kelly moderated several presidential primary debates during the election cycles, which was during her tenure at Fox News.

2016: Kelly Considering Moving to Other Networks

In late 2016, with her Fox contract in its final months, Megyn Kelly was rumored to be actively considering moving to other news networks, indicating potential career changes.

January 6, 2017: Kelly Departs Fox News

On January 6, 2017, Megyn Kelly departed Fox News after the last episode of The Kelly File was aired, marking the end of her tenure at the network.

January 2017: Kelly Leaves Fox News, Joins NBC News

In January 2017, Megyn Kelly left Fox News to join NBC News to host Megyn Kelly Today. This marked a career milestone for Kelly.

June 2, 2017: Kelly Moderates Panel, Interviews Putin

On June 2, 2017, Megyn Kelly interviewed Russian President Vladimir Putin, first in a panel discussion at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, marking a significant event in her journalism career.

June 4, 2017: Sunday Night with Megyn Kelly Premieres

On June 4, 2017, the premiere episode of NBC's Sunday Night with Megyn Kelly aired, featuring her one-on-one interview with Vladimir Putin, marking the launch of her new newsmagazine show.

July 2017: Kelly's Non-Compete Clause with Fox

In January 2017, it was reported that Megyn Kelly remained under a non-compete clause with Fox until July 2017, preventing her from working for a competitor until it expired.

September 2017: Megyn Kelly Today Premieres

In September 2017, Megyn Kelly's daytime talk show, Megyn Kelly Today, premiered on NBC, marking another milestone in her career as a talk show host.

2017: Kelly Joins Dateline NBC

In 2017, Megyn Kelly reportedly joined Dateline NBC and continued to report stories for the show into the summer of 2018.

2018: Sunday Night with Megyn Kelly Return Never Materialized

In 2018, after an initial run, NBC decided against bringing back Megyn Kelly's newsmagazine show, Sunday Night with Megyn Kelly, after a hiatus, and the return never materialized.

January 11, 2019: NBC Terminates Kelly's Employment

On January 11, 2019, NBC terminated Megyn Kelly's employment following the blackface controversy, and she was paid the remaining $30 million from her contract.

September 10, 2020: Kelly Launches Devil May Care Media

On September 10, 2020, Megyn Kelly announced the launch of Devil May Care Media, her media production company, marking a new venture in her career.

September 28, 2020: The Megyn Kelly Show Premieres

On September 28, 2020, the first episode of The Megyn Kelly Show, her podcast, premiered, marking the beginning of her independent media career.

July 6, 2021: The Megyn Kelly Show to Move to Sirius XM

On July 6, 2021, it was announced that The Megyn Kelly Show would move to Sirius XM on September 7, marking a new distribution platform for her podcast.

September 7, 2021: The Megyn Kelly Show Moves to Sirius XM

On September 7, 2021, The Megyn Kelly Show moved to Sirius XM, broadcasting weekdays on the Triumph talk radio channel, marking a new phase in her podcast's distribution.

July 2023: The Megyn Kelly Show's YouTube Viewership Surpasses Major News Outlets

In July 2023, The Megyn Kelly Show's YouTube channel achieved 116.8 million views, exceeding major news outlets such as NBC News (78 million) and CBS News (83 million).

November 30, 2023: Kelly to Star in "Mr. Birchum"

On November 30, 2023, Megyn Kelly revealed on her show that she would star alongside Danny Trejo, Roseanne Barr, and Adam Carolla in "Mr. Birchum", a new Daily Wire adult animated comedy series.

Loading Video...

December 6, 2023: Kelly Co-hosts Republican Primary Debate on NewsNation

On December 6, 2023, Megyn Kelly, along with Elizabeth Vargas and Eliana Johnson, co-hosted the fourth Republican primary debate on NewsNation, marking her return to moderating a presidential debate since 2015.

November 4, 2024: Kelly Publicly Endorses Donald Trump

On November 4, 2024, Megyn Kelly publicly endorsed Donald Trump at a rally in Pittsburgh, citing his policies on women's rights, border security, immigration, and transgender athletes, and posted a selfie with him on X (formerly Twitter).

2024: Kelly Moderated Presidential Primary Debates

In 2024, Megyn Kelly moderated several presidential primary debates during the election cycles, which was during her tenure at Fox News.

2024: Debut of "Mr. Birchum"

The adult animated comedy series "Mr. Birchum", starring Megyn Kelly, debuted in early 2024.

Loading Video...

January 2025: Megyn Kelly's YouTube Channel Reaches 3.2 Million Subscribers

As of January 2025, Megyn Kelly's YouTube channel has surpassed 3.2 million subscribers, positioning it as one of the top ten podcasts in the U.S.

January 17, 2025: Kelly to Attend Trump's Second Inauguration

On January 17, 2025, Megyn Kelly announced on her show that she would attend Donald Trump's second inauguration on January 20 and deliver remarks at his rally the night before.

February 18, 2025: Kelly Announces Launch of Second Podcast

On February 18, 2025, Megyn Kelly announced the launch of a second podcast, AM Update with Megyn Kelly, set to premiere on February 19, which will summarize major headlines.

May 6, 2025: Kelly's Podcast Ranks 3rd in Top Right-Wing Podcasts

On May 6, 2025, Kelly's podcast ranked 3rd in Top Right-Wing podcasts by subscribers for Q1, and had the most YOY % growth at 176%, making her the only female in the top 10.