Comedian Shane Gillis was front and center on stage while hosting the annual ESPYS award show, with the best athletes across all sports seated in the audience.
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Shane Gillis’s full ESPYS monologue
What was your favorite joke? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/XdaRwjYQK0
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) July 17, 2025
That is, there seemed to be ambivalent reactions from the crowd, as Gillis certainly didn't hold back when handing out roasts and pushing some boundaries with personal shots and political jokes.
“SGA is here. Everybody sitting around him is in foul trouble" 😭😭
- Shane Gillis pic.twitter.com/iPD6RgFoNX
— NBACentel (@TheNBACentel) July 17, 2025
During his performance, the 37-year-old comedian impersonated Donald Trump and referenced the highly controversial Jeffrey Epstein's files.
"Donald Trump wants to stage a UFC fight on the White House lawn," Gillis said. "The last time he staged a fight in DC, Mike Pence almost died... there was supposed to be an Epstein joke here, but I guess it got deleted..."
SHANE GILLIS IS UNHINGED AT THE ESPYS, MAKING EPSTEIN JOKES.
“SUPPOSED TO BE AN EPSTEIN JOKE HERE, BUT IT JUST GOT DELETED. PROBABLY DELETED ITSELF, RIGHT? IT NEVER EXISTED, ACTUALLY.“
pic.twitter.com/zvqmnQLmMI— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) July 17, 2025
Another joke that resulted in a mute response from the tough crowd was about Colorado head football coach Deion Sanders' star QB son, Shedeur Sanders.
"Shedeur Sanders had his jersey number retired at Colorado this year, and people are saying it's because of nepotism, because of his father, and it's not" Gillis said. "It's because he went 13-12 over his career, and he almost won the Alamo Bowl. Definitely not nepotism, right?"
The jokes Shane Gillis made about Shedeur Sanders and Caitlin Clark at the ESPYs was solid gold pic.twitter.com/iwbOeFJweI
— Garrett Savage (@GarrettWSavage) July 17, 2025
Gillis then made a couple jokes referencing WNBA superstar Caitlin Clark in which some viewed as 'crossing the line.'
“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"
Shane Gillis at the ESPY Awards pic.twitter.com/lSLtxB35FC
— FearBuck (@FearedBuck) July 17, 2025
At one point during the show, Gillis fooled everyone when he pointed to a random lady in the crowd and introduced her as a WNBA player.
"I'm just joking around, that's my friend's wife, I knew none of you knew WNBA players."
Shane Gillis fooled the ESPYS crowd into thinking his friends wife is a WNBA star 😭
“4x WNBA All-Star Brittany Hicks is here. Give it up for Brittany, everybody…. I'm just joking around; that's my friend's wife, I knew none of you knew WNBA players.”pic.twitter.com/1bXZRqWxyq
— Fullcourtpass (@Fullcourtpass) July 17, 2025
Gillis referenced the Shohei Ohtani gambling scandal with former interpreter Ippei Mizuhara.
“Shohei Ohtani plays many positions pitcher, hitter and bookie” Shane Gillis is killing it at the #espys
— Braden Burcham (@braden_burcham_) July 17, 2025
Then this transitioned into poking fun at North Carolina head football coach Bill Belichick, 73, and his relationship with Jordon Hudson, 24.
Shane Gillis said Bill Belichick reads bedtime stories to his 24 year old girlfriend like “The Little Engine that Could But Needed a Pill First”
This man is insane 😂😂
— Hater Report (@HaterReport_) July 17, 2025
Gillis even made a joke about New York Mets superstar Juan Soto's citizenship.
Shane Gillis NEVER hosting the ESPYs again OMG
“Joe Rogan wanted me to be here to host this award show so that I could capture Adam Silver because Joe thinks he's an alien…Donald Trump wanted me to be here to capture Juan Soto for the same reason." 😭
— Hater Report (@HaterReport_) July 17, 2025
Gillis ended his monologue by saying, 'I see a lot of you don't like me and that's okay."
And in view of the fans' reactions, many of his jokes also had mixed reactions from viewers watching at home.
ESPN executives watching Shane Gillis monologue knowing they are the ones who hired him. #ESPYS pic.twitter.com/O7kHHT0OtZ
— Austin (@AustinPlanet) July 17, 2025
Nevertheless, undoubtedly this was one of the more entertaining portions of the show, as Gillis' performance was reminiscent of the openly candid 1998 ESPYS hosted by the late Norm MacDonald.
I thought Shane Gillis killed his monologue at the ESPYs. And he capped it off with a tribute to Norm Macdonald pic.twitter.com/K3WNVrJCw2
— Garrett Savage (@GarrettWSavage) July 17, 2025
Related: ESPN Receives Backlash For Giving Pat Tillman Award To Prince Harry
