In the past week, fans who have tuned into First Take have noticed that Molly Qerim, the show’s longtime host, has been mysteriously absent.Fans of the ESPN sports debate show have grown concerned as Qerim, who has hosted First Take since July 2015, hasn’t appeared for several episodes in a row.
In her place, Shae Cornette has been filling in as host, but many First Take regulars, including Stephen A. Smith and Chris “Mad Dog” Russo, haven’t directly addressed why Molly isn’t there. With worry and speculation swirling, it’s only right for fans to wonder what’s happened.
Is everything okay with Molly Qerim?
Molly was last expected to be on the show over a week ago, but as of Wednesday, she has missed six consecutive episodes, and viewers definitely took notice. What’s making her absence even more unsettling for fans is that no one from the show has offered any real explanation about where she is or why she’s missing. In true fashion, fans have turned to social media to voice their concerns. One X user, @mvdbutler, summed up what many people were thinking, writing: “I’m kind of worried about Molly Qerim. She was missing from First Take in the middle of last week and was supposed to appear on the special episode last Friday. Hope she’s okay.”
And the concerned fan wasn’t the only one feeling this way. Several other viewers have tweeted and posted, asking whether she’s on vacation, if she’s sick, or if there’s something else going on behind the scenes. On Wednesday’s episode, Stephen Smith did casually mention that “Shae is in the house,” acknowledging Cornette’s role as Qerim’s replacement, but he didn’t offer any further explanation.
An unexplained social media absence
Adding to the mystery, Qerim hasn’t been active on her social media accounts in weeks. Her last posts on X and Instagram were about two weeks ago, promoting ESPN’s new betting platform, ESPN Bet. Since then, there’s been radio silence, leaving fans to speculate about what’s going on behind the scenes. As of now, ESPN has not given any official statement about Molly Qerim’s absence, and no one on First Take has shared any updates either. For a host who’s been such a staple of the show, it’s no surprise that her absence is sparking concern. Fans are hoping everything is okay and that Molly will return to her hosting duties soon.
Last Friday’s show was a special edition featuring former NFL star Cam Newton, which had fans extra excited. But instead of Molly, it was Christine Williamson who took over hosting duties for that episode. This unexpected switch further fueled concerns for the regular host, as many expected to see Qerim back in the spotlight by then. Interestingly, this isn’t the first time Molly has been missing from First Take. Back in August, she was absent for several episodes as well, and while Stephen A. Smith, Bart Scott, and Shannon Sharpe kept things running smoothly, fans were vocal about missing her presence. Molly did return in September, but now, only a month later, she’s missing again, and viewers are understandably frustrated and worried.