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Longtime Fox News Mainstay Dies After Battle With ‘Long Illness’

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OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.


A popular Fox News host has died and the network is in mourning.

Barry-John “Baz” Davies, a producer who worked for the network’s London bureau, dies, Fox News CEO Suzanne Scott said.

“We have some sad news to share this afternoon,” she said in a memo to staff on Monday.

“Barry-John ‘Baz’ Davies, who served as a producer in our London bureau, passed away yesterday after a long illness. He was just 46 years old,” the CEO said.

“He was a beloved part of our team in London and was highly regarded by our colleagues there as well as by the many anchors and correspondents he worked with during his time at FOX,” she said.

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“Throughout his tenure, he covered some of the most consequential foreign news of the last two decades, including the war in Ukraine, several G20 and G7 summits, Brexit, and the terrorist attacks in France and Belgium,” she said. “He also took multiple trips to Iraq where he covered the ISIS uprising in Mosul and to Seoul to report on the tensions between North and South Korea.”

Davies is survived by his wife, Sarah, and his sons, Rex, 5, and Ned, 3, the network added.

The network had another tragic death reported in December.

Matt Napolitano, a writer and FOX News audio anchor, tragically passed away at the age of 33 after a short illness.

In 2015, Napolitano first joined FOX as a writer for the SiriusXM news channel “FOX News Headlines 24/7.” His exceptional abilities as a writer, producer, and broadcaster were on full display there. He went on to become an even more successful sports reporter for the network.

Having left FOX News Audio for a short time, Napolitano is back as a reporter and anchor for updates. Across all FOX Audio platforms, he contributed as an anchor, writer, and producer.

Additionally, he provided the most recent sports news on “Cavuto: Coast to Coast” on the FOX Business Network. He collaborated closely with FOX News Edge, the network’s affiliate news service, to voice packages for different affiliates.

“Matt covered a wide range of sports-related headlines on the FOX Business Network over the last few years, including the Walton family’s plan to purchase the Denver Broncos in 2022, and, most recently, New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers’ Achilles injury and potential comeback in late November. In November, Matt joined FOX Business host Neil Cavuto to discuss MLB’s decision to host the 2025 All-Star Game in Atlanta, following backlash over a set of voting laws in the state,” Fox News reported.

“Matt is survived by his husband, Ricky, whom he married this past May. FOX News also recently lost Director of Chicago Bureau of Operations Adam Petlin, who passed away on December 23 at the age of 58 after nearly 30 years with FOX News. He is survived by his wife, Lauren, as well as his 18-year-old daughter, Ava, and his 14-year-old son, Luca,” the outlet added.

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Ricky Whitcomb wrote on X: “With a heavy heart I have to share that my husband @MattNapolitano passed away yesterday morning. He loved his job and he loved bringing the news to your radios and televisions.”

Napolitano was “an honest journalist who truly cared about facts. You can thank him for the last-minute Jets win today,” Whitcomb added.

Fox News CEO Suzanne Scott paid tribute to Napolitano in a memo to staffers.

“Matt did everything from anchoring to writing and producing for our audio platforms and loved being able to work in the journalism field that he trained for his entire life,” Scott wrote in the memo.

“Jeopardy!” was a show that Napolitano loved. According to Variety, he finally fulfilled his lifelong ambition in 2020 by competing on the show.

In 2016, he made it to the bonus round on “Wheel of Fortune” as well.

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