Kristine Leahy
{{Short description|American television host and sports reporter}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Kristine Leahy
| image = Kristine Leahy at IEM 2015 San Jose.jpg
| alt =
| caption = Leahy in 2015
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1986|10|16}}
| birth_place = Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
| death_date =
| death_place =
| alma_mater = Boston University
| occupation = Talk show host
| years_active = 2012–present
| known_for = The Herd, American Ninja Warrior
| spouse = {{marriage|Howard Liu|2022}}
| children = 1
}}
Kristine Leahy (born October 16, 1986) is an American television host and former sports reporter.{{cite web|url=http://thebiglead.com/2016/04/18/kristine-leahy-is-having-way-more-fun-than-you-right-now/|title=Kristine Leahy Is Having Way More Fun Than You Right Now|work=The Big Lead|date=April 18, 2016|access-date=May 18, 2017}}{{cite web|url=http://www.foxsports.com/presspass/bios/on-air/kristine-leahy|title=Kristine Leahy|work=PressPass|publisher=Fox Sports|access-date=May 18, 2017}}{{cite web|last=O'Donnell|first=Jake|url=http://www.sportsgrid.com/video/kristine-leahy-details-more-examples-of-how-female-reporters-are-objectified-in-locker-rooms/|title=Kristine Leahy Details More Examples of How Female Reporters Are Objectified in Locker Rooms|work=SportsGrid|date=October 21, 2015|access-date=May 18, 2017}} She is most known as a former host on NBC's American Ninja Warrior. She was the former co-host and newswoman of Fox Sports 1's simulcast of The Herd with Colin Cowherd and was also a former anchor and reporter for KCBS-TV in Los Angeles.
In 2018, Leahy began hosting Fair Game with Kristine Leahy on Fox Sports 1. The show was cancelled in December 2019.
Early life
Leahy was born in Chicago,{{cite news |last1=Garcia |first1=Brittany |title=Woman in Sports: Kristine Leahy |url=http://lapalmemagazine.com/2017/10/woman-in-sports-kristine-leahy/ |work=LaPalme Magazine |date=October 2, 2017}}{{Cite web|url=https://mobile.twitter.com/kristineleahy/status/862703837194240000|title=Twitter|website=mobile.twitter.com|access-date=May 22, 2017}} where she became interested in sports. She graduated from Prairie Ridge High School in Crystal Lake, Illinois in 2005.[https://www.nwherald.com/2011/09/09/on-the-record-with-kristine-leahy/a9ovmlg/ Gowins, Hilary. "On the Record With...Kristine Leahy," Northwest Herald (Crystal Lake, IL), Friday, September 9, 2011.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181204005833/https://www.nwherald.com/2011/09/09/on-the-record-with-kristine-leahy/a9ovmlg/ |date=December 4, 2018 }} Retrieved December 3, 2018 She earned a Bachelor of Science in journalism from Boston University.
Career
After college, Leahy got a job at the sports radio station WEEI in Boston. After a two-year stint at WEEI, she transitioned to a position as an official reporter of the Boston Celtics and Celtics.com. She turned that into a job at FOX Boston, where she covered all Boston area sports teams.{{cite news |last1=Radloff |first1=Jessica |title=Kristine Leahy of 'American Ninja Warrior' Dispels 10 Misconceptions About Women and Sports |url=https://www.glamour.com/story/american-ninja-warrior-kristine-leahy |work=Glamour |date=June 26, 2017}}{{cite web |title=Kristine Leahy |url=https://www.nbcumv.com/talent/kristine-leahy/bios_read_more?network=33135&show=6412041 |website=NBCUniversal Media Village |publisher=NBCUniversal |access-date=December 17, 2018 |archive-date=December 18, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181218010512/https://www.nbcumv.com/talent/kristine-leahy/bios_read_more?network=33135&show=6412041 |url-status=dead }}
Leahy moved to Los Angeles in 2012 and covered a variety of different sports, most notably as a sideline reporter for Turner Sports' March Madness coverage. She worked for a variety of CBS affiliated sports outlets, including the local CBS Los Angeles news. Leahy then became the sideline reporter for American Ninja Warrior on NBC.{{cite web|last=Goldberg|first=Lesley|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/american-ninja-warrior-taps-new-780858|title='American Ninja Warrior' Taps New Co-Host for Season 7 (Exclusive)|work=The Hollywood Reporter|date=March 12, 2015|access-date=May 18, 2017}} In September 2015, she took a job to join former ESPN Radio host Colin Cowherd on his new show after his exodus to FOX. Cowherd cited a lack of female voices in sports talk radio as a reason for Leahy's addition to the show, as well as Leahy's history of developing useful sources as a sports journalist.{{cite web|url=http://www.complex.com/sports/2016/05/kristine-leahy-the-herd-colin-cowherd-fox-sports-news-anchor|title=Kristine Leahy Has Colin Cowherd's Back|last=Warner|first=Ralph|date=May 2016|access-date=May 19, 2017|publisher=Complex Media}}
On May 17, 2017, Leahy had a heated exchange with LaVar Ball on The Herd with Colin Cowherd.{{cite web|last1=Davis|first1=Scott|title=LaVar Ball tells Fox Sports' Kristine Leahy 'stay in your lane' after question about how many shoes he has sold|url=http://www.businessinsider.com/lavar-ball-kristine-leahy-stay-in-your-shoe-sales-2017-5|website=Business Insider|access-date=November 20, 2017|date=May 17, 2017}} Ball never faced in Leahy's direction for the whole interview, apparently trying to talk only with Colin Cowherd on the other side of the studio.{{cite web|last1=Whitfield|first1=Kristian|title=LaVar Ball disrespects FS1's Kristine Leahy: 'Stay in your lane'|url=https://www.sbnation.com/2017/5/17/15654608/lavar-ball-sexist-comments-kristine-leahy-fox-sports-lonzo-ball|website=SB Nation|access-date=November 20, 2017|date=May 17, 2017}} When Leahy asked Ball how many shoes he had already sold, he said "stay in your lane" and called her a "hater", which led to accusations of sexism against Ball.{{cite web|last1=Brazillier|first1=Zach|title=LaVar Ball attacks Fox Sports reporter in sexist rant|url=https://nypost.com/2017/05/17/lavar-ball-attacks-fox-sports-reporter-in-sexist-rant/|website=New York Post|access-date=November 20, 2017|date=May 17, 2017}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- http://www.kristineleahy.com/bio.html
- {{IMDb name|4891288}}
- https://www.instagram.com/kristineleahy/
{{American Ninja Warrior}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Leahy, Kristine}}
Category:American reporters and correspondents
Category:American sports radio personalities
Category:American television hosts
Category:American women television hosts
Category:Boston University College of Communication alumni
Category:Radio personalities from Chicago