Fox Sports 1’s iconic sports talk show, Undisputed, the one that was launched with Skip Bayless and Shannon Sharpe as hosts, recently underwent some changes, leaving fans confused and looking for answers. So, Let us tell you all of the tea that led to Skip and Shannon’s “break up.”
It was a bright day, right after the 2023 NBA finals, when the producers announced that Sharpe would be leaving the show for good. The show was and still continues to be one of the most popular sports talk shows in America, with the hosts and guests providing NBA/NFL updates to fans and analyzing recent matches.
Undisputed started off with two charming hosts: Skip Bayless, a sports writer and commentator known best for his work on the ESPN2 show called First Take, where he worked with Stephen A. Smith. Shannon Sharpe used to play for the National Football League with the Denver Broncos for a total of fourteen seasons.
Both of our hosts are extremely knowledgeable and opinionated when it comes to sports, which often leads to conflicting opinions on screen as well. While their debates used to get heated and almost out of control, fans still did not see Shannon’s departure that hit them like a truck.
The show, almost suddenly, started delaying its new episodes and even went on a month-long hiatus, confusing many avid fans who enjoyed the banter between Skip and Shannon. In August 2023, the makers of the show finally decided to announce that Undisputed was undergoing a slight reform.
The show’s return took place in late August, and fans were shocked to see Shannon Sharpe completely off the show. Continue reading below if you wish to find out what led to Sharpes’s departure.
What Happened Between Skip & Shannon?
After seven years of being with the show, Shannon Sharpe bid goodbye to Undisputed and even managed to shed a few tears before getting off the stage forever. While he has nothing planned for his future yet, fans have been wondering exactly what was the reason that pushed Shannon off the show.
Stephen A. Smith likes to think he knows exactly what tipped off their relationship, which barely hung on by a thread, revealing that the two did not have the best of relationships at the time and that Skip’s tweets about Damar Hamlin had caused more disputes between the two.
Skip’s tweets about Damar had led to Shannon confronting the former about it, and apparently, it did not look good at all. While this argument may have caused some trouble between them, it was certainly not the sole reason for Shannon’s departure.
As we said, the two hosts used to, at times, get into heated debates with the camera running, and this aggression would, at times, even translate into their off-camera relationship. This is not to say that the two hated each other, and Shannon left the show because he could even look at Skip for more than he did.
Shannon’s POV
It seems that the hosts had a good run for seven years, and it was just time for Shannon to move on to other ventures. Skip and Shannon shared a professional relationship on-screen. As Shannon revealed months ago, he did not have the same on-screen relationship with Skip when the cameras were off.
He mentioned in an interview that their relationship had run its course and that it had been completely soured. He admitted not even talking to Skip off-cameras. But in his last episode of Undisputed, Shannon became the bigger person, appreciating Skip for being such a great host and for standing together with him.
His final speech got him and the fans crying, with the latter not wanting Shannon to leave the show. The tensions between the two had likely made it difficult for them to shoot, leading Shannon to make such a decision.
Sharpe’s future ventures are still unclear, but fans have promised to wait for the legendary football tight end.
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