Shane Gillis gives 'cringey' performance as host of 2025 ESPYs

Comedian Shane Gillis' hosting duties at the 2025 ESPY awards show got off to a poor start.

Early on, he called out various famous faces in the Los Angeles Dolby Theatre crowd, including retired WNBA star Diana Taurasi whom he mistakenly called Deanna.

The camera showed an unsmiling Taurasi shaking her head.

Gillis moved on to WNBA superstar Caitlin Clark, who wasn't in attendance.

"When Caitlin Clark retires from the WNBA, she's going to work at a Waffle House so she can continue doing what she loves most: fist fighting Black women," he joked.

While some in the audience laughed, others appeared uncomfortable.

Gillis ploughed on for 10 minutes, with jokes about President Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein. His performance drew mixed reviews on social media, with some calling him "hilarious" and others "cringey".

Gillis' joke about North Carolina football coach Bill Belichick and his 24-year-old girlfriend Jordon Hudson drew a lot of laughs. But the reaction was mixed as he continued:

"He won six Super Bowls. He's dating a hot 24-year-old. Maybe if you guys won six Super Bowls you wouldn't be sitting next to a fat ugly dog wife."

Gillis then congratulated Colorado football player Travis Hunter for winning the Heisman Trophy.

"That's something they can never take away from you unless you kill your wife and a waiter," he said, referring to the late OJ Simpson.

Before closing it out, a smiling Gillis said, "I see a lot of you don't like me and that's OK. That's it for me. That went about exactly how we all thought it was going to go. I don't know why this happened."