*Skip Bayless’ “Undisputed” is on hiatus until the end of August.
His former co-host Shannon Sharpe exited the show after six years and now the search is on for a replacement.
“Shannon’s exit moved way faster than they expected,” a source told Front Office. “So they had no choice but to go on hiatus. Skip has never done anything like this during all his years at FS1 or ESPN. Not being on the air during all these NBA moves is killing him.”
According to Front Office Sports, citing insiders, the two-month pause on “Undisputed” was “driven by Bayless and FS1 management’s inability to find a replacement for Shannon Sharpe.”
On Thursday Bayless called on Charles Barkley to join him on the show.
Mark your ????… pic.twitter.com/vDk4zaTuK3
— UNDISPUTED (@undisputed) July 5, 2023
“Charles Barkley would be my dream debate partner on ‘Undisputed,’” Bayless said on his self-titled podcast.
“I would dive out of bed every morning out here in Los Angeles at two o’clock in the morning to get to work with Charles,” he added.
“Please, Charles, please come and please work with me, this ‘damn idiot.’ What a joy it would be to do battle every day with Charles Barkley live on television,” Bayless said.
We reported previously that Shannon and Fox Sports decided on a buyout agreement and parted ways amicably, according to the New York Post. Many sports fans believe the tension between Sharpe and Bayless over the past few months led to Shannon’s exit last month. Bayless previously said on his podcast that he looked forward to Sharpe’s debate points after a big game.
“I started thinking about me against an NFL Hall of Famer, instead of just a fellow journalist,” Bayless recalled. “I started to like it, and we plunged. In our first staff meeting, Shannon told the group he wanted to become the first ex-athlete to prove that he could talk about all sports on TV, not just the one he played. And did Shannon ever prove that.”
Bayless added, “But the truth is what I loved most about working with Shannon was, and this is no small thing, he dedicated himself to the process of preparing for ‘Undisputed’ just like he dedicated himself to playing pro football.”
“Undisputed” will not be returning to air until August 28th.
READ MORE: Skip Bayless Praises Shannon Sharpe After ‘Undisputed’ Exit | Video
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