‘Undisputed’ Going On 2-Month Hiatus To Find Shannon Sharpe’s Replacement

Preezy Brown
·3 min read
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Shannon Sharpe’s departure from FS1’s Undisputed appears to have left a void that has yet to be filled. According to Front Office Sports, the hit sports talk show is going on a two-month break as Bayless and FS1 continue its search for his former co-host’s replacement.

The news has since been confirmed by Bayless himself, who announced that Undisputed would be returning on Aug. 28, more than two months from the airing of its last episode in June.

“LeBron isn’t the only one in the lab this summer,” the 71-year-old wrote in a post on Twitter earlier this week, referencing the Los Angeles Lakers star’s vow to return to championship form. “Can’t wait to unveil Undisputed just in time for football season.”

There has been mounting speculation over who will sit across from Bayless in the wake of Sharpe’s absence after the former NFL Hall of Famer and three-time Super Bowl champion left the show following the 2023 NBA Finals. A few names that have been mentioned range from wildcards such as rapper and longtime friend of Bayless, Lil Wayne, to more practical suggestions like ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith, whom Bayless previously worked with on First Take a decade ago. Yet, sources say the search has come up cold thus far.

“Shannon’s exit moved way faster than they expected. So they had no choice but to go on hiatus,” said one anonymous insider. “Skip has never done anything like this during all his years at FS1 or ESPN. Not being on the air during all these NBA moves is killing him.” Sharpe, who reached a buyout agreement with FS1 that includes his popular Club Shay Shay podcast, first joined Undisputed in 2016 and grew into one of the more popular sports talk hosts on television.

During his final appearance on the show, Sharpe bid farewell to his viewers and supporters, thanking them in a tearful speech.

“You’ve embraced me and allowed me to become your favorite TV uncle, and for that, I’m forever grateful,” Sharpe said at the time. “You’ve rocked with me when you knew very little about Shannon Sharpe. The guy that can come out here and talk, hopefully, you’ve found me entertaining. Hopefully, you’ve found me educational. Hopefully, you found all the things that I gave you that you looked for when you came and tuned in and watched me and this man for seven years.”

The 55-year-old also thanked Bayless for handpicking him to join him as a co-host and the impact his platform has had on his career. “You’ve allowed me to share the stage with you. You’ve allowed me to share the platform,” he said. “The opportunity that you gave me to become what I became, I’m forever indebted to you. I’ll never forget what you did for me. You’ve helped me grow more than you’ll ever know.”

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