Mike Tirico has earned a reputation as a jack-of-all-trades personality for NBC, handling everything from "Sunday Night Football" to the Olympics, the Kentucky Derby and golf coverage.
As NBC started up its pre-race coverage before the Kentucky Derby on Saturday, however, viewers noticed something was a little bit off with Tirico, whose voice was weak early in the broadcast.
Soon after, Tirico was replaced on air by Ahmed Fareed.
Here's what you need to know about Tirico's status and whether he will return.
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What happened to Mike Tirico?
Fareed said Tirico was feeling "under the weather" and had to step away from NBC's on-site studio coverage. He did not specify whether Tirico was planning to return before the race.
Mike Tirico is feeling "under the weather" and has stepped away from NBC's Kentucky Derby coverage, at least for now. Ahmed Fareed is pinch hitting in the meantime. pic.twitter.com/HetSzxEAJI
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) May 3, 2025
Tirico appeared to be dealing with cold-like symptoms during the first hour of NBC's coverage in the rainy weather, and viewers noticed his voice wasn't as strong as it usually is.
Why are we pretending like Mike Tirico is ok. Something is very wrong. @NBCSports
— US Debt Clock Snapshots (@USDebtClockSnap) May 3, 2025
They are going to make us listen to Tirico with a cold for 4hrs?? #HorseRacing
— DC (@DCHI23) May 3, 2025
Mike Tirico’s voice might not make it to the end of the Kentucky Derby telecast.
— Walker Carey (@walkerRcarey) May 3, 2025
Fareed later revealed that Tirico has a nut allergy and had a reaction earlier in the day, but he is ok. However, Tirico will not be returning to the broadcast.
"[Mike Tirico] does have a nut allergy. He had a reaction earlier today. He is feeling fine now, but he is just gonna stay on the sideline." #KentuckyDerby https://t.co/8a5HPY8YzS pic.twitter.com/CJa4seBn8u
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) May 3, 2025
Tirico said on Monday on the TODAY show that he is feeling like himself again after the allergy scare. “I feel fine. I have my coffee, watching the [TODAY] show like I do every morning,” he said.
Tirico went into more detail about what happened on Saturday. “I ate something that had a nut in it, causing your throat and your nose all that stuff to kind of clog up and swell,” he said. “It affects your breathing a little bit, so wasn’t feeling well, couldn’t go on with the show, took an EpiPen shot, got treated by EMTs, felt better about 8, 9 o’clock came along, but it takes a long while to get out of your system.”
"I ate something that had a nut in it and had a nut allergy, causing your throat and your nose all that stuff to kind of clog up and swell. It affects your breathing a little bit, so, wasn’t feeling well, couldn’t go on with the show" - Mike Tirico on 'Today' pic.twitter.com/YlLrWRAiNH
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) May 5, 2025
Tirico doesn't call the Kentucky Derby itself, as that role is reserved for Larry Collmus. Collmus has gotten the opportunity to call several historic moments in recent derby history, including Maximum Security's disqualification in 2019 and Rich Strike's 80-1 upset in 2022.
The 58-year-old Tirico, best known as the voice of "Sunday Night Football," is coming off a bustling year that saw him cover the Olympics from Paris before the NFL season started up. He's also set to host NBC's coverage of the U.S. Open and Open Championship in the summer.
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