Laura Ingraham Reveals Why She Vanished From Fox News During Her Show's Ninth Anniversary Week
Viewers who tuned in to "The Ingraham Angle" last week and found someone else in the host's chair finally have an answer. Laura Ingraham says a bout of laryngitis kept her off the air for three straight days.
The 63-year-old Fox News host explained her absence on social media Friday, after regular viewers noticed she had been missing during one of the busiest news weeks of the year.
"Sorry because of laryngitis I missed the past three days (terrible timing!)," Ingraham wrote.
Bad Timing on Two Fronts
The timing was rough for more than one reason. Her illness kept her off the program on Friday, Oct. 30, the day "The Ingraham Angle" marked nine years on the air.
It also came during the final stretch before Tuesday's midterm elections, as Fox ramps up its political coverage and voters prepare to decide control of the House and Senate.
Laryngitis is an inflammation of the voice box that commonly causes hoarseness, throat discomfort or a temporary loss of voice. For someone who talks for a living, it is a hard condition to work around.
Ingraham used the same post to thank her audience and the team that kept the show running without her. "Thank you to our loyal viewers, dedicated staff, and @FoxNews!" she wrote.
She also told followers she expected to be "Back from New York on Monday night," and closed with a one-word message for Election Day: "Vote!"
The post included a photo of flowers, a card and several decorated cookies apparently sent to her while she recovered. One showed Ingraham inside a television screen, and another read "The Ingraham Angle 9 Years."
Nine Years in Prime Time
"The Ingraham Angle" debuted in October 2017, giving Ingraham her own nightly show after years as one of the best-known voices in conservative media. She had already been with Fox for a decade at that point, having joined the network as a contributor in 2007.
The program now airs weeknights at 7 p.m. Eastern and focuses on politics, Washington and cultural issues, with interviews featuring lawmakers, administration officials and other newsmakers, including President Donald Trump.
Ingraham has also hosted Fox News town halls and appears alongside Raymond Arroyo on the Fox Nation program "Laura & Raymond."
Before television, she built a career in law. A graduate of Dartmouth College and the University of Virginia School of Law, she clerked for Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas before becoming a major figure in conservative talk radio.
She has written several books, including "The Hillary Trap," "Shut Up & Sing," "Power to the People" and "The Obama Diaries."
Back for the Big Night
Her absence raised questions among loyal viewers precisely because it overlapped with both the anniversary and the final days of the campaign. Her post put those questions to rest and made clear the break was meant to be short.
If her timeline holds, Ingraham will be back behind the desk one night before voters head to the polls, just in time for one of the biggest political weeks of the year.