Skyscraper Live Host Elle Duncan Reveals Plan for If Alex Honnold Fell

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Netflix didn’t free solo its coverage of Alex Honnold‘s record-breaking feat.

Elle Duncan, the host of the January 25th livestream of the athlete’s climb on Taipei 101, revealed that a crew member gave her a card with a script to read if the athlete fell and died during the event.

Elle recently shared a shocking experience from her broadcasting days. On January 29th, while appearing on the Awful Announcing podcast, she revealed that just five minutes before going live, someone handed her a card with a prepared statement to read in the event of a fatal accident – specifically, if someone fell from the building. She said it was a completely new and unexpected situation for her.

The streaming platform had multiple safety measures. The sports anchor explained they filmed Alex Honnold’s climb with a 10-second delay, giving them time to stop the broadcast if anything went wrong.

She remembered having a card on her lap that said they had a problem and were going to stop broadcasting. They were planning to switch off the cameras and would provide an update on Alex’s health as soon as possible.

Elle explained that the team was told to switch the camera to a wide shot to avoid showing the person falling. She then planned to briefly appear on camera to make a statement before taking the broadcast off the air.

Ultimately, Honnold finished his climb successfully, and Elle made history as the first person to provide live commentary for a free solo ascent. However, she understood that not everyone celebrated her achievement.

Indeed, she also responded to critics who claimed she spoke over too many of the tense moments. 

Looking back at the footage, I realized how anxious I was during that time. It seemed much more apparent watching it than it had felt while I was actually doing it.

Elle acknowledged she might have overemphasized the situation, explaining, “The real story is simply this man doing something amazing—just look at these photos—that’s all the explanation needed.”

She added, “I didn’t need to paint that picture, but I didn’t know that going in.”

Curious about how much Alex earns for his amazing accomplishment? Keep reading to learn about the salaries of him and other athletes.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s earnings are legendary in the world of sports. He consistently ranks as one of the highest-paid athletes globally, particularly as a soccer player.

In June 2025, Ronaldo extended his contract with Al-Nassr FC in Saudi Arabia for two more years. Though the specific amount wasn’t made public, reports indicated he initially earned around $200 million per year when he joined the team in 2022 after leaving Manchester United.

Lionel Messi started his career with Inter Miami CF with a substantial contract. The Argentine star, who joined the team in 2023 after playing for Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona, is guaranteed to earn an average of over $20.4 million per year. His current base salary is $12 million annually, according to the MLS Players Association’s salary data for 2025. Inter Miami is co-owned by David Beckham.

Despite progress towards equal pay, a significant gap remains between the earnings of male and female athletes. For example, the 2025 list of the top 50 highest-paid athletes published by Forbes included no women. Soccer star Alex Morgan, who retired in 2024, ranked 16th on Forbes‘ list of the highest-paid female athletes last year. They estimated she earned $600,000 from playing and $7 million through endorsements in 2024. While U.S. Soccer has taken a positive step by equalizing World Cup prize money for its men’s and women’s teams, achieving true pay equity still requires considerable effort.

Caitlin Clark, the first pick in the 2024 WNBA draft, signed a four-year contract with the Indiana Fever. According to reports, the contract is worth $338,056, with a rookie salary of $76,535. This relatively low figure surprised many, especially when compared to the much higher salaries of NBA players. In addition to her WNBA contract, Clark has secured several endorsement deals, including a reported $28 million deal with Nike.

Okay, so you guys, did you SEE this?! Stephen Curry is STILL the highest-paid player! ESPN says he made $59.6 million last season, which, honestly, he DESERVES every single penny. But the Warriors? They GET it. They absolutely GET that you can’t let a legend like Steph go! So, in August 2024, he signed another extension – $62.6 million! – which means he’s staying with the team through 2027! His agent told CNBC, and I nearly DIED when I heard. Seriously, Steph is a Warrior for LIFE, and I couldn’t be happier!

And leading the charge with earnings? LeBron James. ESPN reports the Los Angeles Lakers forward made $52.6 million during the 2025-2026 season.

Coco Gauff is making waves both on and off the tennis court. In 2024, Forbes ranked her as the highest-paid female athlete, with total earnings of $34.4 million – $9.4 million from playing and $25 million from endorsements and other ventures.

Naomi Osaka is also proving successful with her sponsorships and endorsements. According to Forbes, she earned around $12.9 million in 2024, with $12 million of that coming from sources other than prize money from tennis matches.

Oh my gosh, Simone Biles is just incredible! She didn’t just win gold at the Olympics, she dominated financially too! Forbes says she made around $11.2 million this year – and get this, like $11 million of that wasn’t even from competing! She’s a total superstar, and I’m so proud of everything she’s accomplished, both in and out of the gym!

Wondering how much Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce earns? He recently signed a two-year contract worth $34.25 million, as reported by NFL insiders Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero.

Patrick Mahomes, his teammate, earned a substantial amount of money when he signed a 10-year, $450 million contract with the Chiefs in 2020, as reported by his agency, Equity Sports.

The Buffalo Bills made sure to sign quarterback Josh Allen to a long-term contract. In March 2025, he signed a six-year deal worth $330 million, with $250 million guaranteed, according to Ian Rapoport.

Russell Wilson has joined the New York Giants. After playing for the Seattle Seahawks, Denver Broncos, and Pittsburgh Steelers, the quarterback signed a one-year, $10.5 million contract with the Giants in March 2025. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Tom Pelissero, and Mike Garafolo reported that Wilson could earn up to $21 million with performance-based incentives.

Aaron Rodgers is now the Steelers’ quarterback, having previously played for the New York Jets and Green Bay Packers. He’ll be wearing number 8, but his contract is substantial. He signed a one-year deal in June 2025 worth $13.65 million, with $10 million guaranteed. He could potentially earn up to $19.5 million more through performance-based incentives, according to NFL Network insiders Rapoport and Pelissero.

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2026-01-30 02:17