Who is hosting the ESPYs in 2025? Why comedian Shane Gillis was given prestigious honor

ESPN has turned to athletes to host the ESPYs in recent years, most recently rolling with tennis legend Serena Williams in 2024, but the network is turning back to comedy in 2025. 

The annual award show will welcome one of America's most prominent comedians to the stage as host this year, adding a spark to a night that will honor the best of the best in sports from the past year.

Here's what you need to know about this year's ESPYs host and which comedians have hosted the award show before.

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Who is hosting the ESPYs in 2025?

Shane Gillis will host the ESPYs on Wednesday in Los Angeles. 

The 37-year-old has risen to fame over the last few years, making headlines with his stand-up routines, Netflix show "Tires," podcast antics, and even commercial appearances. Gillis appeared in Bud Light's Super Bowl 59 commercial alongside Peyton Manning and Post Malone in February.

"I like sports, so this should be a good time," Gillis said through ESPN when the announcement was made, while ESPYs executive producer Craig Lazerus called Gillis "not only one of the top comedians today, but also a huge sports fan, which made him an easy choice."

Gillis is a serious Notre Dame fan, frequently representing the Fighting Irish and appearing at College Football Playoff games last season. 

One requirement of hosting a major award show is being able to sneak in some roasts, and Gillis should have no problem doing that. He's also an Eagles fan, so expect the Cowboys to catch some ire like they did ahead of Philadelphia's Super Bowl 59 win: 

Shane Gillis at the Bud Light Backyard Bowl makes it clear he’s cheering for the Eagles and ends it with

“We won’t see the Dallas Cowboys here anytime soon” pic.twitter.com/46GFnLqhBi

— Eliot Shorr-Parks (@EliotShorrParks) February 8, 2025

In addition to his comedy, Gillis is the co-host of popular podcast "Matt and Shane's Secret Podcast" alongside comedian Matt McCusker. 

MORE: Full ESPYs award history

Why was Shane Gillis fired by 'SNL'?

Gillis was hired as a "Saturday Night Live" cast member in 2019 but was fired before ever appearing on the air, after controversial jokes including anti-Asian slurs resurfaced. 

The jokes were made on his podcast and quickly sparked backlash despite not necessarily being recent. Amid the backlash, "SNL" executive producer Lorne Michaels fired Gillis, saying in a statement, "We were not aware of his prior remarks that have surfaced over the past few days. The language he used is offensive, hurtful and unacceptable."

Gillis, meanwhile, called himself a "comedian who pushes boundaries" and said he sometimes misses the mark and didn't mean to offend anyone. Gillis' hire coincided with the hire of Bowen Yang, who is of Chinese descent.

Still, Gillis' popularity skyrocketed in the years that followed, and he actually returned to host "Saturday Night Live" for one night in 2024.

Comedians to host the ESPYs

Gillis will be the first comedian to host the ESPYs since Tracy Morgan took the stage in 2019. Serena Williams and Stephen Curry hosted two of the past three shows, with no host in 2023 due to the Hollywood writers' strike. 

Here's a look at all of the comedians or comedic actors who have hosted the ESPYs: