Charissa Thompson, the dynamic host of FOX NFL Kickoff, has witnessed a fair share of developments this past week. Since joining FOX in 2013, Thompson has played a crucial role in elevating the network’s presence in sports broadcasting. Besides her significant role at FOX, she is also the celebrated host of Prime Video’s ‘Thursday Night Football’ pre-game show.
In recent times, conjectures around her prospective departure from FOX began gathering steam. However, in an abrupt counter to such conjectures in April, Thompson was unequivocal about her position at FOX. ‘No, I’m not leaving FOX. I was never leaving FOX,’ she stated, thereby quelling the stir caused by the rumors.
Thompson went on to express her surprise at how these rumors spread, which even led to some awkward moments at home. Whilst hosting her family at a weekend ranch getaway, she faced queries from her relatives about the state of her job, following the rumors. In her own words, ‘Four of my family members asked, ‘Well, the place looks great. How are you going to afford it now that you don’t have a job?’ I’m not leaving FOX. I was never leaving FOX. I’m not fired.’
The last bit of whispers surrounding the future of her career were laid to rest this week when Front Office Sports broke the news of FOX renewing Thompson’s contract in a high-stakes deal. Though she has remained tight-lipped about the particulars of the new contract with FOX, the news has undeniably cemented her position at the network.
Amidst all the developments in her professional life, she found some personal respite, posting pictures from her leisure time over the weekend. The admired media personality is seen unwinding on a boat with her boyfriend, Steven Cundari, in these photos.
In her post, she humorously narrates how her boyfriend was tired of her continuous photo instructions to strangers. So, he acquiesced to her idea of posting ‘#NotEngagementPhotos.’ She recognizes his patience, captioning the photos, ‘Steve was sick of me asking strangers to take a photo and hear me say things like ‘could you please lift the phone higher’ or ‘sorry can you take another one.’ So, he went along with my #NotEngagementPhotos idea. You’re welcome Steve, you look great.’
Adding an interesting anecdote to her story, Thompson spoke about the role Matthew and Kelly Stafford played in her current relationship. According to her, the Staffords were tired of her dating experiences going awry and introduced her to ‘a great guy’, who turned out to be her current boyfriend, Cundari.
In her own words, ‘Dan, the story there is that Matthew Stafford and Kelly were sick of me dating losers and they were like ‘We have a great guy for you.’ So they were the matchmakers.’This revelation adds an intriguing facet to her love life.
As life goes on, it leaves everyone wondering about whether Thompson and Cundari will progress further in their relationship. Only the sands of time will unveil what lies ahead for this couple.