In some ways, ESPN BET’s “You Had To Be There” is a culmination of Elle Duncan’s career aspirations. The sports anchor initially set her sights on acting, moving from her native Atlanta to Los Angeles for pilot season out of high school. She eventually realized that she preferred to act like herself than play a character. “I’ll admit, I didn’t initially know that I wanted to fall into sports journalism, but what I did know was that I just wanted to be myself,” Duncan told Ebony. “Broadcasting gave me the perfect avenue to do that … I felt like, ‘[I’m] going to argue with people at the bar for free about these things anyway, so I might as well get paid for it.'”

Duncan began broadcasting in her hometown, covering teams like the Falcons and the Hawks before joining the New England Sports Network as a reporter and anchor in 2014. She became an anchor for ESPN in 2016 and as of 2021, hosts the network’s 6 pm broadcast on weekdays alongside Kevin Negandhi. Duncan stays busy with auxiliary work, such as appearances on ESPN’s “Around the Horn” and her latest venture, “The Elle Duncan Show,” which airs biweekly.

Duncan has brought actorly flourishes to the sports desk, including an “Andor” tie-in skit. She clearly has a soft spot for on-camera antics; in 2014, she had a cameo as a reporter in the Kevin Hart and Ice Cube comedy, “Ride Along.”