Charissa Thompson insists she’s not leaving Fox: ‘I’m not fired’

Charissa Thompson didn’t announce a new contract with Fox, but made it abundantly clear that she has no intention of leaving the network.

On the latest episode of their Calm Down podcast with co-host Erin Andrews, Thompson unveiled a new segment called “Is This Headline Real?” During the bit, Thompson attempted to rebuke any headlines suggesting she was leaving Fox Sports.

“No, I am not leaving Fox,” Thompson informed the audience. “I was never leaving Fox. I don’t know where this took on a life of its own.”

Thompson said she was encouraged to put the rumors to rest after hosting family members at her 75-acre ranch in California last weekend, where at least four of them commented, “Well, the place looks nice, but how are you going to afford it now that you don’t have a job?”

“I wouldn’t normally address this because we all get fake headlines,” Thompson continued. “But no, I’m not leaving Fox, I was never leaving Fox. I’m not fired… I hope I die at [Fox]. As I always talk about, Fox is my longest relationship. I have worked there since I was 22 years old, starting in the HR department. So yes, I love Fox, I will hopefully end my career there in a long, long time. But anyways, it’s not ending anytime soon…That’s a fake headline.”

In her most recent contract, Thompson hosted Fox NFL Kickoff, the network’s lead-in to Fox NFL Sunday. She also has an agreement with Amazon to host Prime Video’s Thursday Night Football pre and postgame show. However, the recent influx of fake headlines likely stemmed from Thompson announcing that her contract with Fox Sports had come to an end after Super Bowl LIX.

“I just have to say one thing,” Thompson said in February. “And this is also what I am going on and on about Fox, and I swear, I mean it’s not just because my contract’s up, I love Fox so much.”

Thompson’s Calm Down co-host, Erin Andrews, similarly revealed her contract with Fox Sports was ending after the 2024-25 NFL season. Thompson and Andrews have not announced new agreements with Fox Sports, but both have now indicated they expect to be back with the network next NFL season.