For years, Molly Qerim was the quiet soul of First Take—the one woman who could keep order between the “mouth storm” of Stephen A. Smith and the hot-tempered guests. Her calm voice, soft smile, and ability to “cut the airwaves” at the right moment convinced viewers that nothing could upset her. But then, one October morning, Molly… disappeared.
No goodbye. No tribute clip. No explanatory tweet. She simply left the show, leaving viewers and her colleagues in complete shock.
“The whole set froze,” one unnamed production staffer recounted. “Everyone thought Molly was just taking a few days off. But then the new schedule didn’t include her. Everything went strangely quiet.”
Rumors began to spread. Some speculated that Molly was unhappy with the behind-the-scenes conflict – where her voice was overshadowed by the “loudmouths” on air. Another source claimed that she felt “just a cleanup artist for the emotional mess between Stephen A. and the guest,” rather than the actual host.
A former ESPN employee revealed: “Molly repeatedly suggested a change to the format, wanting to bring a balance between the debate and the in-depth part. But all of her suggestions were rejected. She began to feel like she was no longer being heard.”
The story became more intriguing when it was reported that Molly’s final taping did not go well. According to the story, after a heated discussion between Stephen A. Smith and the guest about politics – which is forbidden to discuss in depth on the show – Molly reportedly left the set as soon as the cameras turned off, never to return.
Thousands of fans expressed their regret on social media. One person wrote: “Molly Qerim is the only one who makes First Take feel like a real show, not an arena.” Another commented sarcastically: “Now Stephen A. can scream as long as he wants, no one interrupts him anymore.”
ESPN has remained silent. No statement. No explanation. Some media observers have suggested that the company is “trying to control the buzz” before releasing an official version. However, the more silence, the more the rumors have flared up.
A source close to Molly whispered: “She doesn’t want to make a fuss. She just wants to leave peacefully, but peace is impossible when you leave a television empire.”
