ESPN is one of the largest and best Sports Networks in the country and it boasts on its roster, one of the top Sportscasters in the country, Elle Duncan, who has been with the network since 2016, having begun her career as a sports journalist in 2003. Throughout her career, she has commented and covered several major sporting events, especially on basketball and football.
Elle Duncan’s rise in the world of sports journalism is down to her level of talent and excellence that isn’t just limited to sportscasting. She is also an actress and a writer.
Making Broadcasting A Career Choice and Starting Out on Radio
Award-winning sportscaster, Elle Duncan is a graduate of the State University of West Georgia. There, she built the foundation of her sports broadcasting journey by bagging a degree in Broadcasting. While in high school, she contemplated on which career path to follow, as she loves singing, broadcasting, and acting. Having ventured into singing at the age of 18 by featuring in musical theater, Duncan almost took the path of music as she landed a record deal which only lasted for a short period.
After the completion of her academic journey, Elle Duncan began her career at the American sports syndicated radio show, 2 Live Stews in 2003 as an intern. She was later recruited by the radio icon, Ryan Cameron on V-103 to join Ryan Cameron Show, alongside other responsibilities like being a traffic reporter and an on-air personality. Later in 2009, she began to host the radio station’s afternoon show and within a short period, she also joined Frank and Wanda – a morning show that is centered on sports reporting, working as an anchor.
During her time at V-103, Elle Duncan mastered from Ryan Cameron, story-telling techniques, and the art of keeping an audience engaged over a long time. As time passed, Duncan continued to develop the knowledge that would one day send her to one of the highest sports networks in the country. She worked at V-103 between 2004 and 2012 before moving over to WXIA-TV, an NBC affiliate station in 2012. There, she continued to work as a traffic reporter.
Duncan’s First Sports-Related Job Was For the Atlanta Hawks
It is also worth noting that while at V-103, Elle Duncan also had a side gig for the Atlanta Hawks between 2005 and 2013, working as the team’s sideline reporter. She got the job through the influence of Cameron, who is also Atlanta Hawks’ PA announcer. He recommended Duncan for the position after the station’s former sideline in-game reporter, Rashan Ali went on parental leave in 2005. Elle Duncan then moved on to use the clips she built from Hawks’ games to land the job of covering the University of Georgia Athletics (UGA) Football games on Comcast Sports Southeast (CSS). This also enabled her to land the traffic reporting job at WXIA-TV.
Although the gorgeous sports broadcaster began to work as a sports journalist at V-103, both as a reporter and a sports show co-host, it wasn’t yet time for her to fully dive into the world of sports journalism, until 2014, when she joined the regional sports network, NESN where she spent two years working as a full-time sports journalist; as an anchor, host, and reporter.
First Major Sports Journalism Job with NESN
During her time at NESN (New England Sports Network), Elle Duncan worked on shows like NESN Live with her co-host, Sarah Davis and she also carried out on-field reporting for games at the famous Fenway Park, TD Garden, and Gillette Stadium. Additionally, Elle covered Super Bowl XLIX between Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots at Glendale, Arizona. She also carried out sideline reporting for the Red Sox during her time at NESN.
Duncan’s Big Leap to the ESPN
After two years working for the network, Elle Duncan eventually got a call to the big leagues, joining ESPN’s famous SportsCenter in April 2016 and has been working as an anchor ever since. She is always seen on the channel every weekend, Friday to Sunday, from 7 am – 10 am ET. More so, she began hosting some SportsCentre programs on Snapchat in November 2017. When asked about her journey to ESPN, Elle Duncan said that she knew the end game, so she figured out the process and worked towards it. That even though it took her longer than she anticipated, she is satisfied with herself as she wouldn’t have to change anything.
Her career further includes roles at FishCenter Live and as an actress in the film, Ride Along where she played a news reporter. With over 15 years in the business as a journalist, Elle Duncan has been the recipient of a couple of recognitions including being named in AUC Magazine’s Atlanta’s Top 30 under 30, Steed Society’s Top 50 Women in Atlanta, Jezebel Magazine’s 50 Most Beautiful Atlantas, Johnson Media’s Power 40 under 40 It List, and bagging the Atlanta Dream’s 2011 Inspiring Women Award.
Meet Elle Duncan’s Disc Jockey Husband
Elle Duncan met her now-husband, Omar Abdul Ali at a party she was invited to by her friends. An African-American, he is a disc jockey by profession and was born in the United States. At the party, Omar was the DJ, electrifying the atmosphere when the beauteous sportscaster got enchanted by him. Interestingly, Elle made the first move and it is one she has never shied away from expressing in celebration of the success of her relationship.
On July 9th, 2016, Elle Duncan and Omar Abdul Ali went to the altar in front of their friends and family including Cole Meat, Sarah Nicole Davis, Elle’s sister – Kelli Duncan, and committed to each other as husband and wife. The wedding was held at Villa Caletas Hotel, located in Jaco, Costa Rica. Two years after, in July 2018, the couple gave birth to their first child. The pregnancy experience turned out to be challenging as it culminated in 32 hours of labor.
Thankfully, Duncan finally gave birth to a baby girl whom they named Eva. She weighed six pounds, 10 ounces and 19 inches at birth. Elle Duncan made full recovery from the pregnancy and has been back on television, doing what she does best.
See Also: Who is Dianna Russini of ESPN?
About Duncan’s Parents and Siblings
Because she has decided to keep much of her background information away from the media, details about Elle Duncan’s parents are partly known. However, if her Instagram feed is anything to go by, Duncan maintains a close relationship with her family. She was born Lauren Elle Duncan on April 12th, 1983, in Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America, to her parents, Toni and Clark Duncan. She has one sibling; a sister named Kelli Duncan. Elle’s sister was born deaf but through the aid of two cochlear implants, she is able to hear clearly now. She works as a firefighter with the Clayton County Fire Department. Currently, her parents reside in Marietta, Atlanta, Georgia.
