Shannon Sharpe is scheduled to return to ESPN’s First Take next week, following an accidental Instagram live stream that raised concerns about his future with the network.

The incident, in which Sharpe unintentionally broadcasted a private moment to his 3.2 million followers, led to speculation about possible repercussions.

On Wednesday night, Sharpe addressed the controversy during his “Night Cap” podcast. He clarified that, despite his initial claim of being hacked, he was indeed the person in the video and that the stream was a mistake.

“Obviously I am embarrassed. Someone that is extremely, extremely private and to have one of your most intimate details – the audio – heard for the entire world to hear, I’m embarrassed for a number of reasons,” Sharpe told the Night Cap podcast.

Sharpe was then absent from ESPN roles

Sharpe was absent from Thursday’s episode of First Take, which was hosted by Stephen A. Smith and featured Dan Orlovsky.

This absence was reportedly a pre-planned day off, and Sharpe is expected to resume his role on Monday as usual.

The situation drew parallels to the 2021 firing of ESPN analyst Paul Pierce, who was dismissed after a similar Instagram Live incident involving strippers.

In his podcast, Sharpe acknowledged the incident’s impact on his privacy.

“I am extremely embarrassed. As someone who is very private, having such an intimate moment broadcasted to the world is humiliating,” he said.

“I strive to maintain professionalism at all times, even in private moments.”

Sharpe explained that he had accidentally activated Instagram Live while engaging in a private activity, and was unaware it was streaming until notifications from his phone alerted him.

“I threw my phone on the bed and didn’t realize IG Live was on. When people started calling me, telling me I was live, my heart sank. I immediately contacted my agent, the agency, and ESPN to explain what happened,” Sharpe concluded.