FIRST CLASS
Molly Qerim and Stephen A. Smith make long-awaited return to First Take and fans are ‘so excited’ to see them back
Shannon Sharpe has also been on vacation from the show
FIRST Take fans were thrilled as Molly Qerim and Stephen A. Smith finally returned to the show this morning.
The star duo have mostly been on vacation from the ESPN program since early July.
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Regular viewers quickly missed their presence with one even claiming they "might as well cancel the show" last month.
Fans were left relieved then, when they both appeared on today's edition.
The popular pair joined Chris "Mad Dog" Russo and Elle Duncan.
Qerim, Russo and Duncan appeared in the New York studio, while Smith joined them via video link.
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The return of Qerim and Smith prompted plenty of social media reaction.
One viewer wrote on X, "STEPHEN A. IS BACK!!!! MOLLY IS BACK! Elle and Mad Dog in the house! So excited and love it!!!"
While a second gushed, "@elleduncanESPN and @MollyQerim on all day today."
Another viewer was even more thrilled about Duncan's appearance.
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They commented: "@elleduncanESPN bringing that heat this morning! Enjoying it."
Russo, meanwhile, welcomed Smith back by firing a cheeky dig at him.
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"Steve, what was your thoughts on Chiefs-Niners in the Super Bowl?" the 64-year-old joked.
"We haven't heard from you in such a long time."
The panel burst out laughing, with Smith praising his colleague for his "gag".
During Qerim and Smith's absences, First Take has turned to plenty of different panelists.
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.
In addition to the show's star duo, First Take has also been without another star man in Shannon Sharpe.
The former Undisputed favorite, 56, ordinarily appears on Mondays and Tuesdays, but has not been on the show since the beginning of July.
Yesterday's show featured a SportsCenter takeover.
Christine Williamson filled in for Qerim as host, with SportsCenter regulars Matt Barrie and Shae Cornette on the panel.
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"Show hasn't been the same without Smith," a viewer posted at the time.
"Aight now, Everybody can't go on vacation at the same time. GET y'all butts back to work. This may be the most boringness Episode to date. Lawd how mercy," another commented.