Sports fans are saying goodbye to a familiar face on their morning screens — Molly Qerim is officially leaving First Take after nearly a decade as co-host.
The 41-year-old analyst has been a fixture on the popular ESPN debate show since 2015, where she quickly became known for her sharp insights and trendsetting on-air fashion while moderating heated sports debates between co-host Stephen A. Smith and rotating guests. But during Monday Night Football’s double-header on September 15, news broke that Qerim is not just taking a break — she’s leaving the network entirely.
Qerim’s journey with ESPN began back in 2006, when she joined the network to work on digital and mobile content, conducting interviews with celebrities and athletes and covering major sporting events including multiple Super Bowl games and the NBA All-Star Game. She was tapped as an interim host of First Take in July 2015 and made permanent just two months later, becoming a core part of the show’s identity.
Fans first suspected something might be up when Evan Cohen temporarily filled in for Qerim this past July. While she later clarified that her absence was simply for summer vacation, the speculation proved to be on point. According to Sports Business Journal, “Qerim is leaving the network at the end of the year, sources tell SBJ. Qerim first started at ESPN in 2006 working on digital/mobile efforts before moving over to the news team in 2008.”
The outlet also reported, “Sources tell SBJ that ESPN offered Qerim a contract, but she chose to move on.”
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The news caught viewers off guard, and Qerim admitted she wasn’t thrilled that word got out before she could announce it herself. “Now that the news came out earlier than I intended, and not in the way I hoped…” she wrote on her Instagram Stories.
She then shared a heartfelt farewell message for her colleagues and fans. “To my First Take family, After much reflection, I’ve decided it’s time to close this incredible chapter and step away from First Take. Hosting this show has been one of the great honors of my career.”
Qerim added that she has loved “sharing the desk with some of the most brilliant, passionate, and entertaining voices in sports,” and said she is “so grateful” for the journey — especially “the best fans in the world.”
While she didn’t reveal her next move just yet, Qerim told fans to “stay tuned” for what’s to come.
