Stephen A Smith storms off ESPN set after hearing what ex-NFL star said about his family

Stephen A Smith was so taken aback by claims made by his First Take co-host, the outspoken analyst stormed off the show's set.

Smith has been a permanent host on the ESPN daily programme since 2012 and he is reportedly paid a whopping $12 million per year by the US sports broadcasting giant.

Former quarterback Dan Orlovski has been working as an analyst for ESPN since 2018, joining the company shortly after retiring from the NFL.

And on the March 3 episode of the show, the pair got into a heated back-and-forth over Orlovski's travel plans during a recent vacation.

"Hawaii was amazing, I would go back in a heartbeat," Orlovsky said.

"How'd you get there?" Smith interjected.

Orlovsky admitted that he flew his whole family commercial, rather than paying for first class tickets.

Smith was flabbergasted.

"You flew your wife coach from the East Coast, to Hawaii, which is about 10 hours?" he said.

"My wife, my kids, my mother in law, 12 hours," Orlovsky responded.

"I was in row 37, the very last row. And in the middle of the flight, I'm going: 'I don't regret not buying first class.'"

With former NFL star wide receiver Chad Johnson in apparent agreement with Orlovski's decision to opt for the cheaper flights, Smith stormed off the set in disbelief.

"Two cheap a** people," the opinionated 57-year-old journalist muttered.

"Move on with the segment, Molly, I don't wanna listen," Smith bellowed to host Molly Qerim.

Meanwhile, Orlovski was making his first appearance on the show since Super Bowl LIX last month, after which the former Detroit Lions and Houston Texans quarterback said he'd be taking a break from broadcasting.

"You guys know this is the end of the season for me," he said on February 10.

"I’m taking a break, won’t be on TV for a long time. I just want to say to thank you to you guys, Stephen A, Molly, Shannon (Sharpe) for a great season. I love you all. You never know what the future holds, but I’m taking a break.

"I appreciate you guys so much."

After his swifter-than-expected return to First Take, fans welcomed Orlovski back via X. But the 41-year-old said he wasn't yet returning full time.

"No, just a day or two up until draft," he said, referring to the NFL draft that takes place at the end of April.