Molly Qerim and Stephen A. Smith abruptly absent as First Take is bumped from ESPN in major broadcasting change

FIRST Take stars Molly Qerim and Stephen A. Smith were nowhere to be seen as the show was hit by major changes Monday.

Qerim and Smith were both absent from ESPN’s New York studio to start the week.

Wise Owl for The U.S. Sun

ESPN

ESPN

First Take was bumped to ESPN2 on Monday with the main channel showing live little league baseball action.

And fans tuning in were in for even more of a shock when they saw the regular stars were off.

Qerim and Smith had only just completed a special live show from Chicago last Friday.

First Take broadcast from the National Association of Black Journalists as they took their program on the road.

The pair were both on screen for that special edition.

But they were missing come Monday as they enjoyed a long weekend off.

First Take returns to ESPN’s main channel on Tuesday.

But it’s unclear if that means Qerim and/or Smith will return to studio.

The pair have spent large parts of the summer on vacation as they catch their breath before the NFL season.

First Take has been bumped to ESPN2 for live sports a number of times over the last month.

ESPN showed Wimbledon for the first fortnight of July on the main channel.

And there was a three-day stretch where First Take was axed altogether, with tennis coverage also on ESPN2.

Smith returned from his vacation for the show in Chicago and made a typically energetic entrance.

Smith looked slick and smart in his cream suit as he introduced the show last week.

And he did so with his usual exuberance as he walked into the ballroom at a downtown Hilton hotel.

First Take viewing figures

First Take went from strength to strength under the guidance of Stephen A. Smith and Molly Qerim last year.

The weekday ESPN debate show averaged 496,000 viewers in 2023 – making it the most-watched year in program history.

Its December average of 611,000 was a 24% year-on-year increase compared to 2022.

The show also reported more than 250 million views on YouTube.

First Take was helped by the addition of Shannon Sharpe alongside Smith and Qerim after he left Fox Sports’ Undisputed.

“I was on vacation but y’all are more important than vacation,” Smith said.

“Damn it, it means a lot because I was having a good time.”

Qerim has also enjoyed a break this summer and was off the air last Thursday.

She also had a vacation in Wyoming recently and delighted fans with her photos on Instagram.

In one of them, the host wore a “Rockstar Cowgirl” themed outfit .

ESPN