The Big Lead

Michelle Beadle goes on off-air rant against Stephen A. Smith

The 'Beadle & Decker' co-host held nothing back in her first off-air interview after learning Stephen A. Smith was taking over her time slot on Mad Dog Radio on SiriusXM.

By J.P. Hoornstra

Michelle Beadle on the Sirius XM Mad Dog Sports radio set at the Super Bowl 58 media center at the Mandalay Bay resort and casino on Feb. 8, 2024.
Michelle Beadle on the Sirius XM Mad Dog Sports radio set at the Super Bowl 58 media center at the Mandalay Bay resort and casino on Feb. 8, 2024. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
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Michelle Beadle and Cody Decker made it clear Wednesday during their midday show on SiriusXM that they were not informed they were being replaced in the timeslot by Stephen A. Smith.

Via Awful Announcing, Beadle opened the show by joking "Welcome to the Lame Duck and Who Knew? show here” as Decker yelled “fired” in the background. “Also known as Beadle and Decker. We got three hours of a show, for God knows how many more days, and we are here to bring that to you.”

Off the air, Beadle made it clear there was already bad blood between herself and Smith before she learned of the programming change by reading about it in The Hollywood Reporter.

“The Hollywood Reporter comes out — and there’s his face," Beadle told Michael McCarthy of Front Office Sports. "I was like, I should have known. That was just kind of gross. I don’t care that we’re being replaced or what have you. It happens all the time. But a little respect would have been nice. Good Lord. I was totally blindsided. Just really embarrassed, to be honest.”

MORE: Stephen A. Smith to launch two new shows with SiriusXM

Beadle went on to say that her feud with Smith dates back to their time as ESPN colleagues, when she criticized Smith's comments about domestic violence onFirst Takein the wake of Ray Rice’s assault on his now-wife.

"I don’t respect him," she said of Smith, via FOS. "I don’t respect his work. He doesn’t like me. This goes back to the Ray Rice stuff. He made some really piggish comments on the air. I responded; he got suspended for like two weeks. I think that was sort of the beginning of the end for anything.

"I just don’t respect him. I think he gets things wrong all the time. I’m not talking about opinions; those can never be wrong. But factually, when you spread yourself so thin, it’s hard to be right. Not a fan.”

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