Fox News Host Confuses Gayle King and Robin Roberts

Credit: Deposit Photos

Fox News host Jesse Watters was at the center of an uncomfortable on-air moment Wednesday night.

The network’s The Five co-hosts were discussing Gayle King’s interview with embattled R&B star R. Kelly when the gaffe occurred. Instead of praising King for her reporting, Watters gave props to Good Morning America‘s Robin Roberts.

“Hats off to Gayle King for totally redeeming herself after the Smollett fiasco,” the 40-year-old reporter said in reference to Roberts’ interview with Empire actor Jussie Smollett on Feb. 14.

Co-host Dana Perino then chimed in to check Watters on his mistake. “That was not Gayle King,” she said, to which he replied, “Oh, I knew that.”

After Perino informed Watters that Robin Roberts conducted the Smollett interview, the co-hosts erupted in laughter. “Robin Roberts,” he said. “Sorry for Robin Roberts out there. I apologize.”

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Later in the segment, Watters held up a small dry-erase board with a written apology to Roberts and King on it.

This isn’t the first case of mistaken identity to happen at Fox News. Back in August 2018, Fox included a photo of singer Patti LaBelle in a tribute to the late Aretha Franklin.

“We sincerely apologize to Aretha Franklin’s family and friends,” a Fox News spokesperson said in a statement at the time. “Our intention was to honor the icon using a secondary image of her performing with Patti LaBelle in the full screen graphic, but the image of Ms. Franklin was obscured in that process, which we deeply regret.”

You can watch Watters’ on-air gaffe in the segment below.