Stephen A. Smith and Skip Bayless to Appear On Air Together for First Time in 9 Years

The band is getting back together for one show. 

Stephen A. Smith taped an episode of The Skip Bayless Show on Friday, a source told Front Office Sports. The show, which will air early next week, is the first time the duo has been on-air together since Bayless left First Take in the summer of 2016.

At the time, Bayless left ESPN to launch Undisputed with Shannon Sharpe at FS1. Max Kellerman replaced Bayless on First Take and the show migrated from ESPN2 to ESPN. Kellerman exited the program in September of 2021, and since that time Smith has been the primary host with a rotating cast of recurring guests—a list that now includes Sharpe multiple days per week. 

Bayless and Jamie Horowitz, who was the former First Take producer who hired Bayless away from ESPN for FS1’s Undisputed, relentlessly lobbied ESPN’s executives for Smith to be brought back to the network on First Take years after the host had been let go from the Worldwide Leader.

Smith and Bayless, who were on First Take together for more than four years, have had ups and downs in their relationship, but hashed things out in the summer of 2022 in a poolside chat. Bayless left FS1 last summer and has been focusing on his podcast, which airs on YouTube, ever since.

Bayless was named in a lawsuit brought by former FS1 hairstylist Noushin Faraji. FS1 boss Charlie Dixon and host Joy Taylor were also named in the suit. Bayless and Taylor denied the allegations, which include sexual battery, brought in the lawsuit, and FS1’s parent company Fox has asked for it to be dismissed. 

It’s been a busy week for Smith, who just agreed to a new five-year contract with ESPN worth over $100 million. The deal gives him the freedom to pursue outside projects away from sports.