A local woman has stepped into the national spotlight with her football knowledge after appearing on ITV’s hit quiz show The Floor UK
16:00, 04 Jan 2026Updated 16:11, 04 Jan 2026
Juliette Taylor, North East contestant, at a women’s football game
Juliette Taylor has stepped into the spotlight representing the North East on the new ITV hit TV show The Floor UK with her chosen category, footballers. She joins 80 other contestants that compete across an LED floorboard challenging each other across specialist knowledge categories in a high-stakes battle of trivia, strategy and nerve.
Juliette, 24, is the host of The Lesbian Lounge which she started in May 2024, a fast growing podcast where she acts as a ‘lesbian big sister’ tackling listener dilemmas, relationships, identity, dating and coming out stories with humour and honesty. The podcast has built a loyal audience and is growing in recognition for its importance in LGBTQ+ representation.
Contestants on the ITV show were aware of what categories were chosen but not who had picked them so Juliette was, and might be to some viewers, quite the surprise for the football categories. But the Geordie contestant’s passion for football is evident, particularly for the women’s team, being a massive supporter of Newcastle United’s women’s team, the England’s Lionesses and during her time in London for her studies she spent her free time watching Arsenal’s women’s team.
Juliette Taylor, North East contestant, at a women’s football game
Juliette admits she knew she was going to cause a stir with her choice in category. She said: “I probably had one of the biggest targets on my back. Going in with the category of footballers I think anyone would naturally assume that it was going to be given to a man.”
Viewers can expect other contestants to want to try and get close to Juliette and knock her off her territory but it will not be easy. She said: “I think a few people were like, oh I definitely want to get close to you. There’s definitely lots of rivalries in there but I was very confident that I knew I could hold my own.”
But the back and forth is all in good fun as the contestants were able to take some time during filming to enjoy the city of Amsterdam together, where the show was filmed, and some long lasting friendships have been made. Juliette said that a few of her contestants will be joining her at a friend’s bar in Sunderland for a watch party of an episode where they can watch the fun like everyone else.
Juliette Taylor, North East contestant in pink jumpsuit, at The Floor UK studio
The Floor UK is based on a Dutch game show who also has a US version has filmed two seasons currently with plans for the show to be renewed for up to five and is hosted by actor Rob Lowe. The UK’s first season is already attracting a buzz, with its host Welsh comedy legend Rob Brydon.
The Floor UK will be aired from 4th January 2026 every Sunday for the next 10 weeks on ITV.