Meet Bill O’Reilly, the disgraced ex-Fox News commentator who shaped the US conservative media landscape – but what are his ties to Tucker Carlson and Donald Trump?

Feb 16 , 2024

Bill O’Reilly was the host of The O’Reilly Factor on the Fox News Channel before he was fired amid sexual misconduct allegations. Photo: AP

The former host of the popular The O’Reilly Factor was ousted from the network after sexual misconduct allegations, and has since launched his own radio and TV show, No Spin News

The pundit is also close to Donald Trump, urging him to run for re-election back in 2021; he’s also credited with creating the climate that led to Trump’s 2016 win

Bill O’Reilly’s massively popular show on Fox News, The O’Reilly Factor, broke cable records, ushering the network into a new era that saw populism and conservative views taking centre stage. O’Reilly joined the channel in 1996 and was its most-watched star anchor. He was later axed from the network amid sexual harassment allegations, but that didn’t mean he left the public eye. O’Reilly started his own digital platform on his website and a syndicated radio show where his unapologetic views are still widely heard.

Here is everything you need to know about him.

Bill O’Reilly, after Fox News

Bill O’Reilly was one of Fox New’s biggest and most-watched stars before his fall from grace. Photo: @billoreilly/Instagram

In 2017, O’Reilly was fired from Fox News as the network faced mounting pressure. Fox News had initially stood by him despite multiple complaints regarding sexual harassment and other inappropriate behaviour he’d allegedly engaged in at his workplace. He and Fox News reached a settlement totalling around US$13 million with five women.

Bill O’Reilly’s Confronting the Presidents will be published later this year. Photo: @billoreilly/Instagram

However, O’Reilly has stayed rich thanks to several deals, per Forbes: multiple books, a subscription-only podcast, speaking jobs, and the adaptation of one of his books for National Geographic.

Perhaps the most successful though is his eponymous subscription-based platform, which features a variety of videos and radio episodes. The cheapest subscription plan goes for US$5.42 per month, billed annually. His books and access to his members-only message board are promoted on the site, too.

The presenter has piggybacked on his high profile from his Fox News days too though – his TV show No Spin News is a riff on his line from The O’Reilly Factor: “You are about to enter the No Spin Zone.”

Bill O’Reilly used to say on his Fox show, “You are about to enter the No Spin Zone.” Photo: @billoreilly/Instagram

In 2022, O’Reilly’s radio programme, also titled No Spin News, debuted on 58 radio stations across the US. The hour-long show was an expansion of the programme that had aired on Red Apple Media under the WABC New York radio station since 2020.