Sean Hannity’s recent appearances on Fox News left many viewers worried, with some noticing that the longtime host looked different with a puffy face and raspy voice. And Hannity has reassured viewers in his recent X post.
What happened to Sean Hannity?
Fox News primetime host Sean Hannity addressed concerns from viewers who noticed his “puffy face” and “raspy voice” in recent appearances on his nightly broadcast.
The comments sparked a response after Hannity appeared on his Tuesday, June 23, show with notably swollen features as he analyzed primary election night results out of New York and interviewed White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller.
“Thanks to everyone who has checked in. I’ve already addressed this several times on my radio show, but while training, I developed a painful pinched nerve in my neck,” Hannity wrote on X on Wednesday, June 24. “My doctor put me on prednisone to reduce the inflammation, and while it’s helping, it led to laryngitis and some puffiness, which is normal for this medication.”
“I’m fine, recovering well and still training, but apparently a few weeks of prednisone has generated more social media commentary than 30 years of ratings success,” he continued, adding that he was sorry to disappoint his critics, “but a pinched nerve, a raspy voice, and a puffy face aren’t taking me out anytime soon.”
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What is prednisone and why is he taking it?
Prednisone is a steroid medication taken orally or via injection and it is a commonly prescribed to address pain and inflammation from a pinched nerve and a variety of other conditions, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Hannity who is 64, is not a particular fan of the side effects he gets from using it.
According to People, On his nationally syndicated radio show on June 17, he said that “I’ve always struggled at different times with laryngitis because of just the magnitude of talking I do on the air.”
“And the usual course of action is to take something like prednisone, which is a horrible medicine – the worst ever – that flushes your face, makes you bloated, hungry, irritable, and you know, ravenous for any food you can put in your stomach,” Hannity said. “It’s just annoying. So I’ve been trying, I was trying to avoid it.”
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Sean Hannity says throat ‘closed completely’ before JD Vance interview
The longtime conservative broadcaster and confidant to President Donald Trump said his show the day prior, on June 16 had triggered comments and concern from his audience.
“I was trying to avoid it, and anyone that listened to the radio show yesterday, I mean, the first thing my staff said to me was, ‘You sound like crap,’” he continued, as per People.
He said the June 16 show was followed by a podcast interview with Vice President JD Vance about his new book on his conversion to Catholicism and then he interviewed Vance again for his 9pm show.
“The five-minute interim between the time I finished the podcast and the time I actually got on the air, [my throat] closed completely and it didn’t open until I started really talking and interviewing the vice president,” Hannity said. “I promise you there’s nothing serious going on. This is just a typical Hannity laryngitis event. And I don’t know just what am I supposed to do. I’m on live TV, I’m on live radio. Just is what it is.”
Hannity has been with Fox News since its founding in 1996 and began hosting his self-titled primetime show the same year, which remains among the top-rated news shows in the country.
