'Fast Money: Halftime Report' Viewers Think They Know Why Scott Wapner Left Early

For some Fast Money: Halftime Report viewers, part of what draws them to the CNBC show is the hosts. So when Scott Wapner suddenly disappeared from an episode midway through in early December 2025, viewers were left wondering what happened to him and if he was OK. Scott has hosted the daily weekday show, along with Closing Bell, for years.

He hosted the Dec. 2, 2025, episode of Fast Money like usual. Except, at some point, he was replaced by fellow host and commentator Michael Santoli. Later in the day, Scott was also replaced as host for Closing Bell. There has not been an announcement that Scott was suddenly let go from CNBC. But that doesn't mean longtime viewers don't have some questions.

Immediately following his abrupt exit during Fast Money, Scott did not share on social media or otherwise what happened. While some fans of the show feared the worst or were just worried that he might be out for an extended period of time, another CNBC host cleared things up on his podcast episode the same day.

According to a user in a Reddit thread about Scott's temporary exit, CNBC commentator Josh Brown shared what happened to Scott on his podcast, The Compound & Friends. He reportedly said that Scott was dehydrated and needed to leave for the day, despite Fast Money already having begun. In the same Reddit thread, another user joked that Scott might have been "hungover."

Another shared, "And before this, he wasn't working his full schedule (rarely hosting both shows five days a week). Been wondering for a while. Hoping he's good."

Although Scott hasn't answered any fans on social media about what happened, he also has not announced plans to step away from either of his longtime roles at CNBC any time soon. Elsewhere, on X (formerly Twitter), someone posted that they thought Scott "walked off" the set of Fast Money.

Scott has never left Fast Money or even Closing Bell so suddenly before, which is why viewers were confused and even a little concerned. But it's live television, and that can happen, even with seasoned commentators who host the shows more often than not. Still, according to some viewers, Scott has been lenient with himself before when it comes to taking time off.

In September 2025, someone posted on Reddit to comment on Scott being on vacation at the time.

"Seriously, how many vacation days does this guy have?" They wrote. "He hosts Closing Bell like two weeks a month lately."

Someone else commented on the thread to share that they believe Scott, as well as Melisa Lee and Jim Kramer, have had their airtime slashed a bit following MSNBC's rebrand as MS NOW and distance from the NBC brand. That has not been confirmed, but it's one ongoing theory about Scott's habitual absences from his CNBC shows.