Shannon Sharpe has admitted he’s ‘embarrassed’ after accidentally going live on Instagram while very clearly having sex with a woman.

The former NFL star, 56, shocked many of his 3.2million Instagram followers on Wednesday afternoon when he began a livestream on the platform, only to be heard making sex noises.

Neither Shannon nor his partner were seen during the stream but his device could be heard dropping to the floor leaving viewers staring at the floorboards while listening to the graphic audio.

A phone could also be heard persistently vibrating with fans suspecting it was Shannon’s friends ringing him to alert him to the livestream blunder.

Shortly after the stream ended, Shannon posted a tweet on X – where clips of the live have been going viral – claiming that his Instagram account had been hacked. However, he’s since admitted this wasn’t true and that he accidentally went live by himself.

During an ‘emergency episode’ of his Nightcap podcast, which he hosts with Chad ‘Ochocinco’ Johnson, Shannon said hours later: ‘Obviously I am embarrassed. Someone that is extremely, extremely private and to have one of your most intimate details – the audio – heard for the entire world to hear, I’m embarrassed for a number of reasons.

‘There are a lot of people that count on Shannon to be professional at all times and I always try to be professional at all times, even when I’m behind closed doors. … I’m very disappointed in myself, not for the act.’

He added: ‘I think there are millions and billions of people of consenting age that engage in activities, but for the audio to be heard I’m disappointed in myself. I let a lot of people down.’

Shannon revealed how he rang his children and sister to explain the situation, which happened when he absent-mindedly threw his phone on the bed.

The sports icon said his ‘heart sank’ when he later spoke to his marketing partner on the phone and they informed him he was heard having sex on the live, which thousands tuned into. Shutting down any conspiracy theorists, he also insisted the whole ordeal wasn’t ‘staged.’

Shannon’s co-host Ochocinco shared his thoughts on the awkward situation and said: ‘I’m baffled. I never thought I’d see the day where you, Unc, would pull something so out of character.