Shannon Sharpe & Skip Bayless – Source: Nicholas Hunt / Getty
Shannon Sharpe is speaking out about Skip Bayless exiting FS1 and he’s taking the high road.
Skip Bayless has officially departed his post on FS1 leaving his brainchild Undisputed behind. Over a year ago, Skip and Shannon Sharpe co-hosted the show while it was on its last leg, and after a few flare-ups between them, a buyout was reached paving the way for Shannon Sharpe’s exit.
After that, Skip struggled to match the ratings of First Take thanks in part to a lack of talent choices to replace his former co-host and it was recently announced that the show was coming to an end.
Earlier this week, Shannon Sharpe took audience questions during a live Nightcap podcast and was asked his thoughts on Undisputed’s cancellation.
“I’ll be 100% honest. I didn’t want Skip’s show to get canceled,” he revealed. “Just because he and I can’t eat off the same plate, that doesn’t mean I don’t want to see him eat. I think the thing is the misconception was, and this is what I tell people and l’ve told people in private and I’ll say this publicly, Skip gave me the opportunity.”
He then went on to say certain “lines were crossed” between them, but he ultimately didn’t want his former co-host’s show to come to an end.
“I felt what he did. It wasn’t what he said, it was who said it. It’s like Ocho and I, there are certain things I know that I shouldn’t cross with Ocho,” he said. “Ocho knows there are certain things that we shouldn’t cross with each other. We can joke, yeah we joke, we go back and forth. But I didn’t want his show to get canceled. He gave me an opportunity. I would love to see him go on. I just realized at that moment, he and I was never going to be able to eat off the same plate again.”
Rumors suggest that while Skip made a grand exit from FS1, he’s already moved on and is prepping a new show starring himself and Lil Wayne.
Maybe the former FS1 co-hosts will reunite in the future.