A pinched nerve sustained during training – likely martial arts training – forced Fox News host Sean Hannity to take prednisone, which caused facial swelling and a raspy voice that sparked widespread concern after appearing on air, the broadcaster revealed on Wednesday, June 24, 2026.

Hannity, 64, one of Fox News’ longest-serving hosts, took to X to address viewers who flooded social media with speculation about his altered appearance during his Tuesday night broadcast, explaining that the steroid his doctor prescribed to reduce inflammation in his neck had produced noticeable side effects.

“Thanks to everyone who has checked in,” Hannity wrote on X. “I’ve already addressed this several times on my radio show, but while training, I developed a painful pinched nerve in my neck.”

Radio Show Address Came First

Before posting on social media, Hannity had discussed the matter multiple times on “The Sean Hannity Show,” his weekday nationally syndicated radio program. On Monday, June 22, he asked frequent co-host Lynda McLaughlin whether his voice sounded improved, and she replied that America was relieved he was not suffering something more serious — a line that drew laughter.

During that same broadcast, Hannity explained that his physician had initially identified a sinus infection as the source of his laryngitis and had suggested he simply ride it out without medication. At that stage, Hannity said, he had been reluctant to start prednisone at all, describing it as medicine he did not want to take. He eventually began the course of treatment, which resolved much of the inflammation but introduced the visible side effects that caught viewers’ attention by the time his Tuesday night show aired.

Steroid Side Effects Visible on Air

Prednisone is a corticosteroid widely used to control inflammation, but it carries well-documented cosmetic side effects, including fluid retention that can cause noticeable swelling in the face and neck. Hannity attributed his raspier voice and significantly puffier appearance directly to the drug rather than to any underlying condition.

He told his audience he was recovering well and had not stopped training, then capped the statement with a dry aside: that a few weeks on the medication had somehow attracted more attention than 30 years of ratings success.

Hannity also addressed critics who had expressed something more pointed than concern, writing that a pinched nerve, a raspy voice, and a puffy face were not, in his words, going to take him out anytime soon — including for those in what he called “the left-wing media” who had weighed in.

Social Media Speculation Spread Rapidly

The online reaction had been building for days before Hannity’s post. Clips and still images from his Tuesday night broadcast spread widely across social media platforms, with users flagging his altered appearance and speculating about its cause. Left-wing commentator Kyle Kulinski posted on X, asking why Hannity looked, in his phrasing, dramatically heavier and impaired. An account called @BadFoxGraphics put January and June screenshots side by side, posing a simple question about whether Hannity was all right.

Comedian Josh Johnson, a host on “The Daily Show,” also weighed in, joking on social media about Hannity’s visibly enlarged cheeks. The commentary spanned partisan lines, drawing responses from political opponents and concerned viewers alike.

Broadcast Featured Trump Adviser Interview

The episode that drew the most attention featured Hannity interviewing Stephen Miller, senior Trump adviser and White House Deputy Chief of Staff, amid rising midterm tensions. Miller used the platform to sharply criticize Democratic candidates following NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani-backed victories in New York’s Democratic primaries on Tuesday, asserting that a vote for any Democrat empowered a party intent on dismantling the country’s security and way of life. Hannity himself questioned how two ideological camps so far apart could ever be reconciled.

Hannity is a staunch supporter of President Donald Trump and hosts both a primetime Fox News program and a podcast that frequently features administration allies. He is among the network’s most recognizable and longest-tenured on-air personalities, and the combination of his prominence and his visibly changed appearance ensured the speculation about his health traveled quickly — well beyond his usual audience, before he finally addressed it directly.