Charissa Thompson’s journey through the world of sports broadcasting has been nothing short of remarkable. Beginning back in 2006 with the Big Ten Network, she made her way through Fox Sports Net, NFL on Fox, ESPN, and eventually returned to FOX. Along the way, she became the first woman to host a pregame show — FOX NFL Kickoff — and now also hosts Amazon Prime’s Thursday Night Football. Recently, she even expanded her horizons by covering the Blue Origin mission that took six women to space and back. Through it all, Charissa has consistently made headlines of her own.
Adding to her impressive résumé is the Calm Down podcast, which she co-hosts with her close friend Erin Andrews. On the podcast, the two share real-life experiences, funny stories, and sometimes even involve their husbands in the conversation. During a recent episode titled “Alexa, Shut the F— Up,” Charissa opened up about one of her personal quirks that caught fans off guard.
View this post on Instagram
In a candid moment, she admitted, “I don’t like to celebrate my birthday.” Though she loves being on a stage with a microphone, she feels uncomfortable when the attention is directly about her, such as during birthdays or weddings. “That’s where I get awkward,” she confessed. Erin Andrews quickly related, sharing that while she’s comfortable under the professional spotlight, opening Christmas presents in front of others makes her feel shy. The admission surprised many fans, considering the confident on-screen personas both women portray.
But that wasn’t the only revelation. Charissa also addressed the swirling rumors about her future at Fox Sports. Ever since her contract ended after the last Super Bowl, speculation had grown that her time with Fox might be over. These rumors even worried her family, prompting Charissa to set the record straight on the podcast.
“No, I am not leaving Fox. I was never leaving Fox,” she said firmly. “I don’t know where this headline came from. I’m not fired — I hope I die at Fox. I’ve worked there since I was 22, starting in the HR department. I love Fox, and I hope to end my career there a long, long time from now. That’s a fake headline.”
While Charissa hasn’t yet confirmed if she has signed a new contract with Fox, one thing is clear — she’s not going anywhere anytime soon. Fans can expect to continue hearing her on Calm Down and, hopefully, see her back on Fox Sports screens in the near future.