First Take Bombshell: Molly Qerim Quits ESPN And Breaks Her Silence
After years co-hosting ESPN’s First Take, Molly Qerim is out. She confirmed her exit in an Instagram Story, following speculation that spiked when Evan Cohen filled in during her July 2025 vacation.
Molly Qerim is officially out at ESPN and off First Take. After a summer of whispers, she jumped on Instagram Stories to confirm she is closing this chapter. Not exactly how you want a goodbye to leak, but here we are.
What she said
"Now that the news came out earlier than I intended, and not in the way I hoped..."
"After much reflection, I have decided it is time to close this incredible chapter and step away from First Take."
In the rest of her message, she called the job one of the great honors of her career, thanked the show's passionate voices and the audience, and signed off with a heartfelt thanks for letting her into viewers homes. Straight from the host who kept that circus on the rails every morning.
How we got here
- 2006: Qerim joins ESPN, initially focused on digital content and interviews with athletes and celebrities, and covering tentpoles like Super Bowls and the NBA All-Star Game.
- July 2015: She steps in as interim host of First Take.
- September 2015: ESPN makes her the permanent host.
- July 2025: Evan Cohen briefly fills in, which sparks the first round of exit rumors. At the time, it was chalked up to her taking a summer vacation.
- Now: Qerim uses Instagram Stories to say she is leaving First Take and departing ESPN altogether. The New York Post reports the network offered the 41-year-old a contract renewal, but she declined.
The inside-baseball part
The timeline is a little messy because the news leaked before Qerim planned to announce it herself. She addressed that directly, then made it official: she is done with First Take and moving on from ESPN.
What is next?
She has not said. No new gig teased, no timeline hinted. Just a clean exit after nearly a decade steering First Take and almost two decades at the company.