Longtime ESPN host Molly Qerim will leave the network at the end of the year, ending her tenure on the “First Take” morning debate show. Featured commentator Stephen A. Smith said on SiriusXM Tuesday that Qerim had “abruptly resigned” on Monday night amid a contract negotiation.
As first reported by Austin Karp of Sports Business Journal Monday night, Qerim turned down ESPN’s offer of a new contract. Sports Media Watch has learned that she will not be on “First Take” moving forward.
Qerim has had two separate stints working at ESPN, most recently returning to the network in 2015 to host “First Take,” which at that point featured Smith and Skip Bayless. Smith, who opened the Tuesday edition of the show by thanking Qerim for her contributions over the years, later added on SiriusXM that she “abruptly resigned” as host of the show on Monday night.
“We have been partners on the show for the last 10 years, and a lot of times, some of these things happen and it’s just uncomfortable to see,” Smith said. “The details, quite frankly, are none of y’all business, but it’s not as if I know all the details. There was a contract negotiation that was going on. ESPN certainly did not want to lose her, but in the end, she made a decision to walk away from the show, effective immediately.”
Qerim confirmed the news of her exit from “First Take” on Monday night through her Instagram account, referring to the hosting assignment as “one of the greatest honors” of her career.
Through changes to the show format, on-air talent and studio settings, Qerim had remained a constant in the anchor chair as the longest-tenured host in the history of “First Take,” and the first to surpass the 10-year mark.
Before she joined the program in 2015, Cari Champion served as the host of the show for three years coinciding with the debut of Smith as a commentator. Jay Crawford and Dana Jacobson were the original hosts of the program and were later joined by Reischea Canidate. Outside of her work with ESPN, Qerim covered college football and basketball for CBS Sports, and she was also the host of “NFL AM” and “NFL Fantasy Live” for NFL Network.
“Molly has been an integral part of ESPN since 2006 and a key driver of First Take’s success since joining as host a decade ago,” Burke Magnus, president of content at ESPN, said in a statement. “She elevated the show with her poise, skill and professionalism, while supporting others as a kind and encouraging teammate. We respect Molly’s decision, wish her the best in the future, and thank her for her extraordinary daily commitment to sports fans and ESPN.”
