Renee Paquette (September 19, 1985) better known as Renee Young is a Canadian sports broadcaster and actress who works for World Wrestling Entertainment as a backstage interviewer, commentator and host of WWE Active and Pay-Per-View Kickoff shows.
Early life
Paquette was born in Toronto, Ontario, and was raised in Ajax, Ontario. She was a child model. After high school, she applied to several colleges and began training in improvisational comedy. At the age of 19, she moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career as a comedic actress, but later moved back to Toronto and auditioned for films, music videos, and commercials.
Professional career
The Score (2009–2012)
Paquette began working for The Score in the later months of 2009 on the program called Right After Wrestling, later to be renamed Aftermath, where she presented alongside Arda Ocal and former WWE referee Jimmy Korderas.
WWE (2012–present)
Paquette signed with WWE in October 2012, where she was renamed as Renee Young, and made her on-screen debut on the 29 March 2013 episode of SmackDown, interviewing Randy Orton, Big Show, and Sheamus. Young had previously performed interviews exclusively for WWE Active since February 2013, and had also presented the 2012 Survivor Series pre-show alongside Scott Stanford. Young debuted on the January 23 NXT as a backstage interviewer.
Young began co-hosting the World Tour segments, which is a segment detailing the city they are filming in, showcasing various tourist attractions, before later being promoted as a third main presenter on The JBL and Cole Show, which is shown on YouTube and WWE.com. It received a Slammy Award for Favorite Web Show of the Year. She also presents WWE Vintage Collection alongside Hall of Famer Mean Gene Okerlund.
In September 2013, following months of being an interviewer, Young made her commentary debut on NXT. She began to do color commentary during NXT Divas' matches before later becoming a full time color commentator on NXT. On July 3, 2014, WWE announced that Young had officially joined the WWE Superstars commentary team, beginning with the July 3 episode alongside Tom Phillips, making her WWE's first full time female announcer in more than a decade.
Other media
Before joining The Score, Paquette worked for BiteTV, where she presented a show about extreme sports and music called Rippin' It-N-Lippin' It during 2008 and 2009. She did a commercial for Oxy and had a part in a Tom Green music video. Prior to this, she had a cameo in the music video for Kelly Clarkson's 2005 song "Behind These Hazel Eyes". She also appeared in an national Noxzema commercial,and did a photoshoot for Toro Magazine.
Personal life
On being a wrestling fan, Paquette said: "I attended a few events and WrestleMania VI. My dad is a concert promoter and he'd get me into the events. I remember being backstage and meeting Stone Cold Steve Austin, Triple H, Chyna, and Trish Stratus as a kid, so it's really funny to me that I ended up here. I went on a different path than wanting to become a WWE Superstar."
Filmography
Television
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2007 | The Smart Woman Survival Guide | Cute Intern | Episode: "Go Big or Go Home" |
2010 | Gotta Grudge? | Herself | 8 episodes |
2011-2012 | Gillette Drafted | Herself | Judge, mentor |
2013 | Total Divas | Herself | 2 episodes |
2013 | WWE: The Top 25 Rivalries in Wrestling History | Herself | Host |
2014 | WWE Countdown | Herself | Episode: "Coolest Catchphrases" |
Web
Year | Title | Role |
---|---|---|
2013–present | The JBL and Cole Show | Herself |
2013-present | After Total Divas | Herself |
Awards and accomplishments
- WWE
- Slammy Award for Favorite Web Show of the Year (2013) - with Michael Cole and John "Bradshaw" Layfield for The JBL and Cole Show
External links
- WWE.com Profile
- Renee Paquette on Twitter
- Renee Young on Facebook
- October 12, 2012 IGN discussion about Renee's departure to WWE