The 2025 ESPY Awards took an unexpected turn on Wednesday night when comedian Shane Gillis kicked off the show with a no-holds-barred monologue that had the Dolby Theatre crowd alternately laughing and cringing. Known for pushing the envelope, Gillis didn’t dial it back for live television, taking shots at everyone from sports legends to political figures.
Award show hosts typically toss out a few playful jabs, but Gillis leaned into full roast mode. Some in the audience chuckled, while others shifted uncomfortably in their seats. Almost immediately, social media erupted with heated discussions about whether Gillis had gone too far.
Belichick, Rogan, and Trump in the Hot Seat
One of the night’s most talked-about moments came when Gillis poked fun at Bill Belichick, who recently accepted the role of head football coach at the University of North Carolina. The joke zeroed in on Belichick’s relationship with 24-year-old Jordon Hudson, which has been making headlines.
“A bookie is what Bill Belichick reads to his girlfriend before bedtime,” Gillis joked. “They read, The Very Horny Caterpillar, The Little Engine That Could, But Needed a Pill First, and of course, the classic, Good Night Boobs.”
That set the tone for the rest of the monologue: sharp, bold, and intentionally uncomfortable.
Gillis then shifted to a bit about podcast king Joe Rogan and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver.
“Joe Rogan actually wanted me to host the ESPYs so I could capture Adam Silver because Joe thinks he’s an alien,” Gillis joked. “And Donald Trump wanted me to capture Juan Soto for the same reason.”
The Trump jokes kept coming. Gillis riffed on the former president’s recent claim that he’d like to host a UFC event on the White House lawn if re-elected.
Shane Gillis: “They let me do it. This is Disney. They allowed that… Yeah, we should’ve taken that out. I had doubts going into that. That didn’t work all week.” #ESPYs pic.twitter.com/Hjttc3J1B4
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) July 17, 2025
“Donald Trump wants to stage a UFC fight on the White House lawn,” Gillis said. “The last time he staged a fight in D.C., Mike Pence almost died.”
He followed with a swipe at the elusive Jeffrey Epstein client list.
“There was supposed to be an Epstein joke here,” Gillis said. “But I guess it got deleted and probably deleted itself, right? Probably never existed. Let’s move on as a country and ignore that.”
Waffle House Quip Sparks Outrage
The most divisive moment of the night came when Gillis brought up WNBA star Caitlin Clark.
“She’s going to work at a Waffle House so she can continue doing what she loves, fist-fighting Black women,” Gillis said, referencing Clark’s on-court rivalries. The line drew a mixed reaction: some laughed nervously, others groaned, and a few called it out immediately as racially charged.
Critics labelled the joke tone-deaf, while supporters argued it was in line with the roast-style humour Gillis is known for.
A Norm Macdonald Echo—and an O.J. Callback
Gillis paid homage to the late Norm Macdonald, who famously roasted O.J. Simpson during the 1998 ESPYs, by reviving the controversial topic in a joke about Travis Hunter, the Heisman-winning two-way football star.
“Congratulations, Travis Hunter. Winning the Heisman, that’s something they can never take away from you. Unless you kill your wife and a waiter—in which case, they can take that away from you.”
The joke drew awkward laughter, as the audience wrestled with the sudden flashback to a decades-old scandal.
Nobody Off Limits
Throughout his set, Gillis lobbed shots at a wide range of sports figures, including Aaron Rodgers and NBA standout Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. His humour swung between playful and provocative, true to his reputation for courting discomfort.
Currently starring in the Netflix series Tires, Gillis seemed unfazed by the audience’s mixed reactions. He’s no stranger to controversy, having built his career on unfiltered comedy that some find offensive—and others find refreshing.
Social Media Reaction: Divided and Loud
As the awards ceremony continued, online platforms exploded with takes. Some viewers applauded Gillis for bringing an edge back to the ESPYs, while others accused him of crossing the line just for shock value.
One user summed it up: “Shane Gillis didn’t just host the ESPYs; he hijacked them.”
Love it or hate it, Gillis’ monologue ensured that this year’s ESPYs will be remembered for more than just the trophies.
