Courtney Friel interview…
In this week’s Steppin’ Out Magazine, Chaunce Hayden interviews FNC Courtney Friel…
Chaunce Hayden: Do you regret appearing in FHM ?
Courtney Friel: The FHM spread was part of the my job as the World Poker Tour host. The predessor and the girl who took over the show after me both did FHM as well. That was appropriate for that job. But it’s not appropriate for my job at Fox. That’s why I took the photos off my website.
Hayden: That must of raised some eyebrows at Fox.
Friel: Yeah, I’m sure some people at Fox thought, “Oh, who is this bikini chick?” But I’m very athletic and I also have a brain. So I don’t think there’s anything wrong with being able to showcase that. But I never did anything that wasn’t tasteful or lewd. FHM was just something I did to promote a show I was on. I also think that news and entertainment are almost becoming one in the same. Look at Maria Menounos. She’s done Stuff, FHM and Maxim and she’s on the Today Show. Trust me there’s a lot of people out there in the smaller news markets who have a lot more scandal associated with them than just a magazine spread.
I want to see the bikini photos.
Comment by Philip — April 30, 2007 @ 5:11 pm
What’s the deal with Courtney Friel? I’ve seen her on various Fox programs, but I missed her as a Fox & Friends fill-in co-host. Based on recent blog postings, I get the feeling that most believe she didn’t do so well. What got my attention in the above article was her saying “I think news and entertainment are almost becoming one in same.” I couln’t disagree more.
Comment by Objective Analyst — April 30, 2007 @ 5:27 pm
Well there no question that news and entertainment have been slowly merging, just look at all the recent frenzy over Alec Baldwin or Britney Spears, or Anna Nicole Smith. You can go back week by week and see that evolution.
Friel here is just using that as an excuse for getting the job she got. At any other time since the advent of 24 hour news if someone with her qualifications, and she’s unquestionably the least qualified person in cable news, the network who hired her would be mocked for years to come. Look at HLN when they hired Andrea Thompson to read a teleprompter, Fox was throwing jabs left and right.
Comment by Steve — April 30, 2007 @ 5:46 pm
“I also have a brain”!!!!! Are you kidding? Could she have said anything more ironic than that?
Give me a break!
Comment by cella — April 30, 2007 @ 6:00 pm
Wasn’t she hired to be an entertainment correspondent and fill-in anchor? She’s good at the entertainment stuff and pretty good at reading the prompter but I would cringe if they told her to interview John McCain etc… What is she 26-27? Give her a break. If she’s really looking to move up at FNC and one day be in the middle seat of FNF or FNFW she can do it. There’s a brain in there. No more talk about dancing with Timberlake, going to one of Paris Hilton’s parties etc….
Comment by Lurker — April 30, 2007 @ 6:02 pm
Honestly, I can’t really stand Friel and cannot take her the slightest bit serious when all she really does at the channel is act as eye candy next to the other hosts. If anything, atleast most of the other decent looking FNC people appear to know what they are doing, she just seems to be kind of lost and doesn’t do much.
Comment by Chris — April 30, 2007 @ 6:06 pm
I did catch her once on Saturday morning. They were doing a piece with Home Depot and fix-up projects around the home. She was handed an air-nailer, which see immediately pointed directly at the guy’s face who was helping her. Needless to say, he was very upset, and told her never to point it at anyone. She then said, “oh, don’t worry, it’s not loaded”, and then pointed it at him again. They then proceeded to do some nailing with the gun … it was loaded!! The guy was really fuming by then.
Comment by Jim — April 30, 2007 @ 6:18 pm
^
Hahaha but the nails don’t shoot out like that or do they? I thought it was a safety feature? Only those pro guns do that and in the movies?
Comment by Lurker — April 30, 2007 @ 6:29 pm
There were over 20,000 nail gun accidents in 2006. This is of the home version variety. All you have to do is accidentally bump the safety foot and your nailed.
Comment by Jim — April 30, 2007 @ 6:44 pm
Wow Jim…that is serious! I had no idea she was that dumb!
Comment by Objective Analyst — April 30, 2007 @ 6:46 pm
she is unwatchable as an anchor and a complete embarrassment to fox news - when i saw her she couldn’t even read the prompter or know which camera to look at - she appeared to be of low intelligence and had no knowledge of current events
Comment by lulu — April 30, 2007 @ 7:55 pm
She’s horrible! The Kellys were always having to make up for her (like the day she said Newt Gingrich hasn’t really been in the public eye for years and Greg Kelly kindly reminded her he’s an FNC contributor). But she’s not just horrible at hosting…her reports are bad too! I caught her doing a story on Cavuto’s show the other day and I swear she sounded like a 3rd grader reading a book report on Charlotte’s Web. It was awful! I expected her to say, “The End” when it was over.
Comment by Gab — April 30, 2007 @ 11:50 pm
In her first month or so on Fox, it seems like she was doing spots on every regular show. It was like they were trying to cram her down our throats.
For a while, every time I turned on FNC, there she was…with those blinding white teeth staring back at me while she breathlessly informed us of the incredibly important happenings in Hollyweird.
Comment by Amused — May 1, 2007 @ 12:45 am
I’ve never understood the hype over this one. Ditzy is NOT sexy.
Comment by spiffo — May 1, 2007 @ 8:27 am
If she thinks entertainment and news are one in the same, she should become a part of the CBS Evening News. This skanky bimbo is worthless. She thinks she has a brain? That’s funny, because whenever I see her I suddenly begin hearing the Wizard of Oz tune, “If I Only Had a Brain.”
Although I stopped watching F&F Weekend when she was on, I was a witness to the nail gun incident. Yep, she pointed it straight at Greg Kelly twice and then said it wasn’t loaded. Um, Airhead Friel, I’ve got news for you. If you are doing a home improvement segment, the nail gone is most likely loaded.
Comment by Paula — May 1, 2007 @ 9:04 am
Gab–I also saw Courtney on Neil Cavuto. This time they were having a discussion about American Idol and I was stunned when she managed to make a fool out of herself while analyzing a topic my twelve year old daughter could handle better. I’m not saying newswomen shouldn’t try to be attractive, but they must have the proper credentials as well, otherwise the network they represent loses credibility too.
Comment by cr — May 1, 2007 @ 9:55 am
CR, I didn’t see the American Idol segment, the one I saw was about the Virginia Tech shootings and how the internet played a role. She read off a list of things that fit that criteria and that was it. I swear Cavuto looked confused when they went back to him. I also saw her on with Shepard Smith one day and he kept asking her questions she’d answer with “yes” or “no” when he was obviously trying to fill time. The other day she was introduced as the “new face of foxnews.com”
I noticed she tends to defend herself a lot…”I’m very athletic and I also have a brain.” If you check out her bio on her website, she’s quick to say she was never a cheerleader or a sorority girl. I almost feel bad for her, but she should have stayed where she was, doing the entertainment shows and the poker tour, etc.
Comment by Gab — May 1, 2007 @ 10:32 am
Courtney Friel is the biggest trainwreck to hit FNC in ages. Even her entertainment spots that air sometimes during “The Big Story” or “Cavuto” seem like it amateur hour.
I also don’t recall any other host being so defensive about their lack of credentials or their previous profession. She just didn’t do FHM as a host of some show. She was a bikini model. Then for her to go attack “local” news anchors for doing far worse’ is laughable. At least those “anchors” she claims have done worse can at least read a teleprompter.
The funniest times, though, have been when they let her host “Fox and Friends” weekend edition. You have never seen the Kelly’s have to work so hard “carrying” somebody.
I also completely disagree with the magazine’s cover “The News Has Never Been Hotter”. What? She’s not that attractive in the face. Was Chauncy not watching FNC when Kiran Chetry was on the air?? There’s plenty of Fox News Channel ladies that are much hotter. And those ladies all have a brain!! You know Courtney is in desperation mode when she has to tell everyone she has a brain! She may have one, but it’s short on the IQ points! Way short!!!
Comment by Dan — May 1, 2007 @ 12:05 pm
Hey lets do the “Bimbo” rock!
Comment by Roger C. — May 1, 2007 @ 12:44 pm
I think Courtney Friel is stunning to watch. Maybe she needs to be more seasoned in her news reporting and getting better acquainted in reading the teleprompter, but she is a gracious lady.
It bothers me how people in society always put down beautiful and gracious people like her and others. And about her rather racy pictures on the internet. So what! Let us stop placing judgment on people like her lest we be judged ourselves. He has not sinned shall throw the first stone. Nobody is worthy to judge this woman except the Father Almighty!
Courtney Friel, keep your chin up high and keep rising to the top!
Comment by Joan Sabino — May 1, 2007 @ 4:10 pm
Courtney Friel has absolutely nothing between the ears except teeth. I hope that FNC offered her a very short term contract, she is a total waste. How many entertainment reporters does a network need. FNC’s viewers are not necessarily enamored with Hollywood.
Comment by Veronica — May 1, 2007 @ 4:12 pm
I have to turn the station everytime I see her. During her first week or so they had Martha MacCallum interview her and it was posted on-line. Martha asked her who her role modle was and she said “Ryan Seacrest”!!! I couldn’t believe it. She is an idiot.
Comment by Laura — May 1, 2007 @ 4:27 pm
20. I think Courtney Friel is stunning to watch. Maybe she needs to be more seasoned in her news reporting and getting better acquainted in reading the teleprompter, but she is a gracious lady.
It bothers me how people in society always put down beautiful and gracious people like her and others. And about her rather racy pictures on the internet. So what! Let us stop placing judgment on people like her lest we be judged ourselves. He who has not sinned shall throw the first stone. Nobody is worthy to judge this woman except the Father Almighty!
Courtney Friel, keep your chin up high and keep rising to the top! Let nobody’s negativity keep you down. Take your plus sign everyday!
Comment by Joan Sabino — May 1, 2007 @ 4:53 pm
For anyone who missed the segment on “Fox & Friends Weekend” from March 31st which featured Courtney and the nail gun incident, Fox still has it on the website.
http://www.foxnews.com/video2/player06.html?033107/033107_ff_diy&FOX_Friends_Around_House&Around%20the%20House&Around%20the%20House&Showbiz%20News&-1&Entertainment&236&7&17&col
Comment by Tiamat — May 1, 2007 @ 5:04 pm
Is Sabino Courtney Friel’s maiden name??
Who cares if Courtney is a gracious lady? Who knows what she is like in real life.
Who judged her by her racy pictures? It seems Courtney is the one who is ashamed of her past and pulled all those photos from her website. So it seems she is ashamed of what she has done.
I don’t know anybody who is judging her in the religous ’sense’. But it seems pretty universal from the posts here that her on air ability has been judged by those who have seen her and the verdict is: she certainly doens’t need to be working at Fox News Channel. Perhaps she needs to go back to her old T&A job because a news channel is not where she belongs. I doubt she belongs even on an entertainment show.
Comment by Kyle — May 1, 2007 @ 6:47 pm
The racy photos are what got her the job, or at least drew the interest of the FNC honchos.
She has no grasp of either serious news nor how to read it professionally (as opposed to an OMIGOD, like fer shure! sorority girl).
I’m sure she’s a very nice person and maybe someday if she ever decides to get serious and stop relying on her looks, she might be ready for actual news. But Fox is not supposed to be a training group for newbies.
If she’s serious about doing news, she should go to affiliate stations in small towns and learn from the ground up — and practice a professional delivery — before attempting the big leagues.
There are many beautiful women who work at Fox — and most of them are smart and professional. With women like Megyn Kelly, Paige Hopkins, Julie Banderas, Molly Henneberg, Rudi Bakhtiar, Rebecca Gomez, Lauren Green and so on, it’s hard to understand why Fox not only hired Courtney Friel, but seems to be trying to make her the “face” of FNC.
Comment by Amused — May 1, 2007 @ 8:09 pm
Kyle — Friel is Courtney’s maiden name. She’s married to a guy named Carter Evans. You can google his name to find out “who” he is.
If anyone watches the reactions of the other people that are on the set with her, it’s obvious how the majority of the on-air talent (as well as guests) truly feel about Courtney.
Comment by Tiamat — May 1, 2007 @ 10:49 pm
Kyle from your post #25, you stated inpart “Is Sabino Courtney Friel’s maiden name??
Who cares if Courtney is a gracious lady? Who knows what she is like in real life.”
Let’s face it, she’s stunning to look at! People have a real problem with pretty women. Pretty women and even attractive men always get put down. They are either referred to as “bimbos”, “himbos”, “queer” or whatever. This is a real insecurity problem in our society. The psychology of this negativity is flows from Marxism/Socialism mentality where beauty in human form as well as in written and in artistic expression is degraded, put down or shamed on.
Courtney has only been with Fox News since mid Februrary of this year. And so what about the racy photos on the internet. What’s the big deal? You guys act like you’ve never seen pics of a nude lady before. No wonder the Europeans laugh at us Americans. Free your mind and the rest will follow.
Good day!
Joan Sabino
Comment by Joan Sabino — May 2, 2007 @ 10:20 pm
Joan, there are plenty of beautiful women at Fox, yet most are well respected. Why is that? Maybe that’s because they are competent at their jobs and don’t make us cringe every time they’re on the air. Like this morning on “Fox & Friends.”
Why do you keep harping on her racy pics? Nobody here seems to care about the bikini and underwear shots but you.
Comment by Amused — May 3, 2007 @ 8:32 am
Go read Courtney’s interview in that magazine. She totally clueless & delusional when she claims that both Greg Kelly and Kelly Wright are “about 20 years older” than she is. Greg is only 11 yrs older. I’m not sure about Kelly.
Comment by Tiamat — May 3, 2007 @ 9:39 pm
Courtney Friel was a huge mistake for Fox. She is “like totally” insipid. I just saw her do a Kentucky Derby spot, and she couldn’t even do that well. Watching her makes me appreciate competent news reporters and anchors. It was a dark day when Fox lost Kiran Chetry, and an even darker one when they hired Courtney Friel.
Comment by Nancy — May 6, 2007 @ 4:40 am
Honestly Joan, I don’t think that Courtney is “stunning to look at”, there are a boat load of beautiful women at Fox. You got a thing for her?
Comment by Veronica — May 7, 2007 @ 8:42 pm
Lots of good stuff about Friel. One more: She was on Red Eye and the host asked her some innocuous question like,: Courney, What do you think about the weather?” She looked stunned and flustered and answered, “I don’t have an opinion. I wasn’t given a briefing pack on that.” Do you believe it?! And she’s not that attractive. The more you see her the less she is.
Comment by tom eglinton — October 15, 2007 @ 5:21 pm