NBC’s coverage of the Kentucky Derby faced a hiccup when lead broadcaster Mike Tirico left the set on Saturday. Ahmed Fareed stepped in to fill the void, revealing that Tirico was dealing with an unspecified illness. “Mike might have heard about it, but I’m feeling a bit under the weather right now, so I’ll take over for a bit,” Fareed mentioned during the broadcast.
He also hinted at the possibility of Tirico returning later, sharing, “It’s not like baseball. If you get closer, the starter can come back into the game, so if Mike feels better, he can jump back in.” Many on social media had already noted the buzz around the station leading up to the race.
Tirico has been the face of NBC’s triple crown coverage since 2017, marking a nine-year run—the longest for a lead broadcaster since Bob Costas’s impressive 18-year tenure from 2001 to 2018.
At this time, it’s uncertain whether Tirico will be able to return in time for this year’s race, which is scheduled to take place at 7:02 PM ET.
