Beadle Reacts to Smith Taking Over SiriusXM Slot

Michelle Beadle has recently expressed her thoughts on the news that her former colleague at ESPN, Stephen A. Smith, will be taking over a time slot on Mad Dog Sports Radio with a new Sirius XM show beginning in September.

Beadle shared her feelings on “Beadle and Decker,” the show she hosts with Cody Decker, and followed up with comments in an interview where she acknowledged the tension between her and Smith. It’s clear, she doesn’t harbor any fond feelings for him.

“It’s a reminder. We’re all just fragments of ourselves. If you forget, it’s always there,” Beadle remarked, reflecting on the surprising news.

“Then I see his face pop up in the Hollywood Reporter. I thought to myself, ‘I should have seen this coming.’ But honestly, it doesn’t really disrupt what we do,” she added.

After leaving ESPN in 2019, Beadle has had a longstanding conflict with Smith. She previously criticized him on social media following his comments concerning domestic violence in relation to the incident involving former NFL player Ray Rice.

“I don’t respect him. I don’t respect his work. He doesn’t care for me either. This began years ago because of those comments he made,” Beadle noted. “He said something really offensive on air, and I called him out for it. They didn’t air him for about two weeks. I think that was a pivotal point for us.”

Smith had faced backlash after suggesting that Rice’s wife could have been partly to blame for the domestic violence incident, leading him to apologize and take a brief hiatus from ESPN.

Beadle shared that her deal with SiriusXM is set to continue until August, although she hopes to wrap things up before then. “It felt like we had a solid show for two years,” she explained.

Smith’s upcoming SiriusXM show is slated to begin on September 2, which will replace “Beadle and Decker,” airing daily from 12 to 3 PM.

During her Wednesday show, Beadle revealed that she and Decker discovered they would be losing their time slot just hours before the announcement was officially made.

Smith, who is quite the figure in sports commentary, had already announced his multi-year agreement with SiriusXM during an appearance on “The Howard Stern Show.” Upcoming details were confirmed by The Hollywood Reporter.

As part of his new contract, Smith will launch a second show focusing on current events, pop culture, and social commentary.

Beadle commented that while she would remain composed, she wouldn’t shy away from discussing Smith’s topics. “We’ll be there covering hockey and basketball games. I can’t control the callers. Honestly, some of them are just out there,” she said.

Before the release of Beadle’s interview, Smith responded to the comments during his show, declaring he was really unaware of the situation beforehand.

“I want to set the record straight. It’s important for everyone to know what kind of guy I am and what kind of teammate I strive to be. I never assumed people didn’t realize that,” Smith said, emphasizing that SiriusXM had instructed him to withhold information until the announcement.

He added, “In a million years, we won’t ever align professionally or in terms of modern approaches with our colleagues.”

Beadle, known for her time hosting ESPN’s “NBA Countdown,” is currently engaged in a talk show called Run It Back with former players Chandler Parsons and Lew Williams.