Jillian Mele is a 41 year-old American journalist best known for her gig on Fox & Friends First on Fox network. She left Fox in October 2021 to be able to strike a better balance between her work as a TV host and her personal life. She also ventured into business and went in pursuit of an MBA at her alma Mater, La Salle University, in Philadelphia.
Mele worked in several other places before scoring her best-known job at Fox Network in 2017. She went on to serve with the media outlet as a co-host on Fox & Friends First for the ensuing four years before deciding to leave in 2021. Though she accepted a job with one of the Philadelphia-based media outlets, Mele only spent a brief time with them before venturing into business, which is what she is currently doing.
Summary of Jillian Mele’s Biography
- Full Name: Jillian Mele
- Gender: Female
- Date of Birth: September 17th, 1982
- Jillian Mele’s Age: 41
- Ethnicity: White
- Nationality: American
- Zodiac Sign: Virgo
- Sexual Orientation: Straight
- Religion: Christianity
- Marital Status: Single
- Jillian Mele’s Parents: Roseanne Mele (née Zlemek) and father, Thomas Mele
- Siblings: Two
- Jillian Mele’s Height in Inches: 5 feet 8 inches
- Jillian Mele’s Height in Centimetres: 173 cm
- Jillian Mele’s Weight: 59 kg
- Body measurements in Inches: 35-25-36
- Body measurements in Centimetres: 88-63-91
- Jillian Mele’s Net Worth: $900k
- Famous For: Famous for being a co-host on Fox & Friends First
- Jillian Mele’s Instagram: Jillianbmele
Who is Jillian Mele of Fox News?
Jillian Mele is an American journalist and businesswoman best known for her gig as a co-host on the Fox News program Fox and Friends.
Born on the 17th of September 1982, she is currently 41. Her place of birth is Glenside, Pennsylvania, and this indicates her American nationality. Ethnicity-wise, she is said to be White.
Nothing much is known about Mele’s early life and family background, but it’s known that she is the daughter of Roseanne Mele (née Zlemek) and Thomas Mele.
Far from being her parents’ only child, Jillian spent her growing up years alongside two siblings. However, she is her parents’ only daughter, as her two siblings are sons. Nothing has been said about her brothers’ identities and career endeavors.
She is Highly Educated
Jillian is a well-educated woman. Growing up in Glenside, Pennsylvania, she accomplished her earliest academic journey in that region. However, when the time came for her to go for further studies, she gained admission into La Salle University in Philadelphia to study arts and communication. At the end of her studies, Jillian Mele was awarded a Bachelor’s degree in her discipline. She completed her course in 2005.
While running her first degree at La Salle University, Jillian had ample time to pursue another course at The University of Scranton, though she has never bothered to mention the details, the course took a couple of years.
After she had had her exploits in different media houses, the celebrated journalist went back to her alma mater, La Salle University, towards the end of 2021 to pursue an NBA, and from what is obvious, she is still on it.
Jillian Worked in Various Firms Before Fox network
Jillian Mele started taking on paid employment as far back as her high school days when she would score holiday jobs in grocery stores as a clerk. After she obtained her B.A. in arts and communication, she went on to accomplish her internship at Comcast Sports Net in her home state, Philadelphia.
She launched her professional career as a journalist after she completed her studies at La Salle. Starting off, Mele turned out to be quite versatile though she also displayed a very strong emphasis on sports and its related coverage. She practically covered key news events including the flood story she did in June 2007.
Mele moved to Binghamton, New York where she landed her first job at WAGM-TV. She went on to work two jobs at both Presque Isle, Maine, and the WIVT-TV as a sports anchor. She also functioned as WIVT-TV’s evening news co-host.
In 2007, the then-aspiring journalist returned to Philadelphia to join NBC 10 where she handled shows concerning the Olympics; this would later earn her an Emmy. In addition to the Olympics, she did an admirable job at the media outlet covering traffic news as a traffic reporter.
Jillian spent seven long years at NBC 10 and in 2014, she was lured to NBC Sports Philadelphia to become the co-host of Breakfast on Broad – a morning sports talk show that saw her win another Emmy. While she had her run with the network, Jillian Mele also hosted a Philadelphia Eagles post-game program known as Endgame.
The progression of Jillian’s career in the broadcast media has been quite interesting as she did a lot of exploits in the media world before going on to join Fox News.
Why did Jillian Mele leave Fox and Friends?
Jillian said she needed to strike a better balance between her work as a TV host and her personal life and this was listed as her main reason for taking the conscious decision to exit from Fox Network. She also unfolded plans to go back to her alma mater, La Salle University to get an MBA.
The news eventually rents the air that Jillian Mele was about to leave the Fox Network in October 2021 after four long years with the media outlet. During her last segment on the set of Fox & Friends First on the 29th of October 2021, the American journalist was having a hard time holding back her tears as she updated fans with the latest happenings in her career life.
According to her, the decision to exit from the network has been a difficult one, as she loved her work and her colleagues, whom she described as friends and family. Going on, Jillian said she felt blessed for the opportunity to work with the Fox & Friends First crew and the viewing audience, thanking them for welcoming her into their homes every morning, but the time has come for her to do the right thing.
She was super grateful for the support she received throughout her four years duration with the program and was vocal in letting them know how much she appreciates them all. Jillian said working with her crew members contributed to making her a better person.
The American journalist and show host went on to talk about her plans for the future, which include focusing on balancing out her personal life. Jillian Mele admitted that in her entire adult life, she hasn’t had an opportunity to sleep beyond 1 a.m. and this happens every day. As part of the journalist’s final segment in Fox Network, the media house’s management decided to treat her to a montage of video clips showing her best moments as its staff, from inception to date, which was a bit too emotional.
Needless to say, the clips brought a lot of tears from Jillian Mele and her colleagues, especially her co-host, Todd Spiro, who seized the opportunity to express his sentiments about Mele. Spiro told Jillian how much she means to everybody on the network and they also see her as family. He equally assured her that she would be alright.
Gavin Hadden, the current Vice President of Fox Network, also wished Jillian well in her future endeavors, thanking her for her dedication and for making exceptional contributions to the Fox & Friends franchise. He also encouraged, Carley Shimkus who had been chosen as Mele’s replacement.
Jillian Mele Won Millions of Hearts as a Co-host on Fox News
Jillian won millions of Fox News audience over as soon as she joined the electronic media outlet in March 2017. She was barely six months old at the network when the broadcast media trusted her with the huge responsibility of co-hosting the most-watched program Fox & Friends First.
When she first joined the show, the American journalist was a mere news anchor (headlines reporter) and also made contributions to other segments daily. It’s important to note that Fox & Friends First is one of the best programs on Fox News, it attracted the attention of millions, including Donald Trump, the ex-president of the United States.
To date, Fox & Friends First still occupies the number one spot on the list of best cable news programs, with an astounding 1.4 million viewers – a number that keeps increasing as time rolls by. The program is well known for its conservative political analysis and is perceived by many as being biased towards the Republican Party in the United States and its policies.
Needless to say, the Democrats were not big fans of the program, and they often leveraged liberal outlets to draw occasional criticism against the show and its hosts. Even before Jillian joined the show in 2012, it came under heavy criticism for airing a 4-minute video that was perceived to be an attack on former United States President, Barrack Obama and his records.
The ensuing controversy had a far-reaching effect. In fact, it got to a point that top executives at Fox News were forced to distance themselves from the said clip. In their defense, the top guns at the media outlet claimed the piece slipped out from the backdoor and wasn’t vetted by their senior producers.
All those early morning tweets that characterized President Trump’s administration were said to be influenced by the activities on Fox and Friends First.
While on Fox & Friends First, Jillian co-hosted the show with Rob Schmitt and together, the dynamic duo entertained viewers with quality content daily from 6 AM to 9 AM ET.
Jillian eventually left Fox News in October 2021 after spending four long years as a co-host on Fox & Friends First.
Jillian is now a Business Woman
After she left Fox Network and went back to her home state, Philadelphia. She decided to go into business by launching the media mentoring business called Jillian Mele Communications. The company came into existence in the early part of 2023 and is still in its teething stage.
She has some other Special Interests
In addition to journalism and business, Jillian Mele has displayed a healthy dose of interest in dancing. She is well trained in tap dance, Jazz, and ballet and according to the co-host, she danced for 10 years.
Jillian is also interested in the golf game. She enjoys playing the game and first attempted the sport in 2015 while holidaying in Aruba.
Where is Jillian Mele Now?
Currently, the former Fox & Friends First Co-host is now residing in Philadelphia where she was born. Recall Jillian said she was going back to her alma mater, La Salle University, Philadelphia, for an MBA, she is reportedly pursuing the degree now.
In January 2022, she found employment in Philadelphia, working with WPVI-TV as a reporter cum anchor, however, she left the job in March 2023 to go concentrated on her new business venture.
Is Jillian Mele Married?
Jillian Mele isn’t married and from what is perceivable, she has never tied the nuptial knot with anybody. However, she appears to have a boyfriend that she has been keeping under the shade to date.
Though her profession entails prying into other people’s lives, Mele seems to have become an expert in warding off investigations into her own life. She achieves this by always giving bleak answers to inquiries about the current man in her life. In 2013, one of her social media followers asked about her pick, and in answer, Jillian just said he was a Boston native.
@agr3agr3 my boyfriend is from boston soooooo #bruins ! Haha
— Jillian Mele (@jillianmele) June 12, 2013
In recent times, she caused a stir on the Twitter platform with a similar comment. Someone inquired to know if she is currently dating and “I have a boyfriend, but thank you” was the journalist’s response.
I have a boyfriend, but thank you
— Jillian Mele (@jillianmele) May 26, 2016
To date, the identity of her man has remained a mystery that may never be unraveled. Many have even dismissed her pranks as a ploy to divert attention from her love life.
There are people who have speculated that Jillian Mele may be gay, but she’s never confirmed it. Rather, she once mentioned that she has gay family members. This may mean that she supports the LGBTQ community.
FAQs
Who is Jillian Mele?
Jillian Mele is an American journalist best known for her gig on Fox Network as a co-host on Fox & Friends First.
How Old is Jillian Mele?
Mele is 41 years old, as she was born on the 17th of September 1982.
What is Jillian Mele Doing Now?
Jillian is currently pursuing her MBA at La Salle University and has launched her own business venture.
How Tall is Jillian Mele
Melee stands 5 feet 8 inches tall which is the equivalent of 173 cm.
What is Jillian Mele’s Net Worth and How Much Does She Make?
Jillian has a total net worth of $900k earned majorly from her journalism career.