From massive shifts in reporter lineups to new controversies brought up over social media behavior, the world of sports broadcast reporting can seem like a volatile and ever-changing place. Due to that flux, it’s important to highlight those who rise through the ranks to achieve success within the industry. One such broadcaster who has achieved these heights is Joy Taylor.
But how did she climb the ranks to get to where she is today? Those are the questions we’re about to answer as we take a look at Joy Taylor and her life story so far!
Humble Beginnings
Joy Allison Taylor was born on January 17th, 1987 to her parents Anthony Taylor and Georgia Taylor. Her family is also made up of her older brother Jason Taylor and her younger brother Noah Taylor.
Joy soon developed a love of sports from hanging with her two brothers and the general sports culture fostered in her hometown of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In fact, her brother Jason would go on to become a defensive end/outside linebacker for the Miami Dolphins for 14 years. He even won several awards (like AFC Defensive Player of the Year and a spot in the NFL Pro Football Hall of Fame) during his stint in the sport.
This isn’t to say Joy wasn’t a big sports player too. She played everything from baseball to soccer throughout her childhood. However, Joy expressed that her true passion was in expressing her opinions about sports, but never thought about reporting since it didn’t feel authentic to herself.
Continuing Education
After graduating high school, Joy made her way to Barry University in Miami, Florida to pursue a degree in Broadcast Communications. While there, she became a valuable member of the college radio station WBRY 1640 AM, helping to keep everything running well. She even managed to get her own show on the station (called “The Noise”), where she honed her craft and learned to handle the pressures and complications of live broadcasting.
She also earned the Inaugural Dwight Lauderdale Scholarship while in her undergrad career. Her extracurriculars even included the acclaimed Lambda Pi Eta Honors Society.
Joy Taylor Rises Up the Ranks
Now that she’d established herself as a force to be reckoned with, Joy soon broke into the industry with a job at Miami ratio station 790 AM The Ticket. Starting as an executive producer, she climbed the ranks for 3 years until she’d soon secured a spot as a co-host for The Zaslow and Joy Show. The show soon rocketed to one of the top-rated morning sports radio shows in the area.
From there, Joy would go on to assist the CBS Sports website, hosting both their Thursday Night Live and Fantasy Football Today programs. Her portfolio of work continued to swell until she hit a breakthrough in 2016.
The Big Leagues
This breakthrough was when she joined FOX Sports, as Taylor was the subsequent replacement of host Kristine Leahy on FOX’s big-tier raucous sports show The Herd With Colin Cowherd. She wowed audiences and executives alike with her skill and personality on both The Herd and assistance on smaller shows here and there. It wasn’t long until the executives at FOX bumped her up to moderator for ‘Skip and Shannon: Undisputed.’ The show is one of Fox Sports 1’s biggest, staring Skip Bayless and Shannon Sharpe.
As her boundless energy and wit breathed new life into the show, audiences nationwide went crazy for Joy. She soon returned to The Herd as an official co-host alongside Colin, working to provide the tempered response to Colin’s wild takes on various sports.
Outside Sports
Joy has also done a great deal of work outside the sports industry, including the launch of her news show Joy Chat on Caffeine.tv, a platform looking to get in on Twitch’s cut of the streaming game. Joy’s acknowledged in interviews that the media landscape has shifted dramatically since she entered the radio game, forcing her to keep moving and try new things to stay ahead.
Joy also takes the time to speak out about the difficulties of being a woman of color in an industry dominated by white men. She even created a show on Yahoo Sports called Pass Her The Mic to help raise awareness of injustices within sports communities as well as provide a voice to other marginalized figures in the industry.
She’s also a controversial figure on social media, though this is due to her co-host’s wild claims on The Herd more than anything. As such, Joy’s developed a tough skin and is one of the few celebrities to really “punch back” at Internet trolls.
Joy’s also accumulated a small fortune over her time working in the broadcasting industry. Her net worth is even estimated to have cracked around a million dollars this year, with an annual salary ranging in the 100,000’s.
There are no definitive announcements of what projects Joy has planned in the future. However, with the pace she’s kept mixed with her quality of work, we doubt this is the last you’ll hear of Joy Taylor.
Personal Life
For the most part, Joy works to keep her professional and personal life separate, citing the stresses that come with allowing the two to bleed together. That said, we do know she got married to Los Angeles Angels baseball star Richard Giannotti in 2016, with a ceremony in Fort Lauderdale. The marriage only lasted a year, with the couple officially divorcing in 2017.
Around 2018, the announcement came that Joy was engaged to Earl Watson, a former NBA player. Though they bought a million-dollar property together in California, the couple broke the engagement off in 2019. Neither party has given an exact reason for the breakup. Joy has no children from either relationship.
And That’s The Story So Far
That’s everything we know about Joy Taylor so far. But being as young and talented as she is, I’m sure there’s plenty more to come in her life story.
Well, if you’re looking for more news about the latest scandals and developments in sports broadcasting, make sure to check out the other articles on our site today!
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