{{Short description|American television personality (born 1994)}} {{Infobox pageant titleholder | name = <!-- defaults to article title when left blank --> | image = Taylor Hale 2019.jpg | alt = <!-- descriptive text for use by speech synthesis (text-to-speech) software --> | caption = Hale in 2019 | alma_mater = George Washington University | birth_name = Taylor Mackenzie Dickens Hale <!-- only use if different from name --> | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1994|12|31}} | birth_place = Detroit, Michigan, U.S.<ref>{{Cite tweet|user=TMackenzieH|number=1581456673591291905 |title=Detroit, 6:18pm |access-date=October 16, 2022}}</ref> | nationality = <!-- use only when necessary per WP:INFONAT --> | other_names = | occupation = Television personality | height = {{height|ft=5|in=7}} | years_active = | title = {{ubl|Miss Michigan USA 2021}} | hair_color = Black | eye_color = Brown | competitions = {{ubl|Miss Michigan USA 2021|(Winner)|Miss USA 2021|(Unplaced)}} }} '''Taylor Mackenzie Dickens Hale''' (born December 31, 1994) is an American reality television personality and beauty pageant titleholder. She is the winner of the 24th season of the American reality television series ''Big Brother'', becoming the first African American woman to win the series.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Carras |first=Christi |date=September 26, 2022 |title=Besting her bullies, Taylor Hale becomes the first Black woman to win 'Big Brother' |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/story/2022-09-26/taylor-hale-big-brother-season-24-winner |access-date=October 6, 2022 |website=Los Angeles Times|language=en-US}}</ref> She is also the first houseguest to win both the game and the America's Favorite Houseguest prize.
Prior to ''Big Brother'', she was crowned Miss Michigan USA 2021 and won Miss Congeniality at the Miss USA 2021 pageant but unplaced at the finals of the competition.
== Personal life == Hale was born on December 31, 1994, in Detroit, Michigan. She attended Detroit Country Day School from kindergarten through grade 12, graduating in 2013.<ref>{{YouTube|id=jQcXXghGNEc|title=Lunch with Miss Michigan & Alumna Taylor Hale '13. }}</ref> She graduated from George Washington University in 2017, where she was a member of Alpha Phi sorority. Hale resides in West Bloomfield, Michigan.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Runkle |first=Anne |date=September 27, 2022|title=Taylor Hale of West Bloomfield wins 'Big Brother' reality show |url=https://www.theoaklandpress.com/2022/09/27/taylor-hale-of-west-bloomfield-wins-big-brother-reality-show |access-date=October 6, 2022|website=The Oakland Press|language=en-US}}</ref>
On November 9, 2022, she confirmed her relationship with fellow ''Big Brother 24'' contestant Joseph Abdin.<ref>{{cite web|last=Blanchet|first=Brenton|date=November 9, 2022|title='Big Brother' 's Taylor Hale and Joseph Abdin Are Officially in a Relationship: 'Happiest I've Ever Been'|url=https://people.com/tv/big-brother-taylor-hale-joseph-abdin-relationship-official/|access-date=November 9, 2022|website=People}}</ref> They announced their breakup on April 19, 2023.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.eonline.com/news/1371853/big-brothers-taylor-hale-and-joseph-abdin-break-up|title=Big Brother's Taylor Hale and Joseph Abdin Break Up|date=April 19, 2023|accessdate=May 17, 2023|last=Trainor|first=Daniel|work=E! News}}</ref> Hale then dated fellow ''Big Brother'' contestant Kyland Young. The pair competed together as a couple on ''The Amazing Race 38''.<ref>{{cite web|last=Blanchet|first=Brenton|date=August 24, 2025|title="Big Brother' Couple Confirmed! Taylor Hale & Kyland Young Join "Amazing Race" Season 38|url=https://www.swooon.com/1216285/the-amazing-race-taylor-hale-kyland-young-dating-season-38-couple-big-brother/|access-date=August 24, 2025|website=Swoon}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://parade.com/tv/the-amazing-race-38-cast-big-brother-2025|title=It’s a ‘Big Brother’ Takeover! Meet the Full Cast of ‘The Amazing Race 38’|work=Parade|last=Bloom|first=Mike|date=August 14, 2025|access-date=August 25, 2025}}</ref> Leading up to the season, Young stated that they intentionally chose to keep their relationship private and that they were not a couple "right now".<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://ew.com/big-brother-kyland-young-talks-dating-taylor-hale-pursuing-legal-action-against-trolls-11799124|title=Big Brother's Kyland Young opens up about dating Taylor Hale — and pursuing legal action against their trolls|work=Entertainment Weekly|last=Bucksbaum|first=Sydney|date=August 27, 2025|access-date=August 27, 2025}}</ref>
== Miss Michigan USA == Hale won the Miss Michigan USA 2021 pageant in August 2021 after nearly a year-long postponement due to the COVID-19 pandemic.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Graham |first=Adam |date=September 25, 2022 |title=Ex-Miss Michigan Taylor Hale wins 'Big Brother' $750,000 grand prize |url=https://www.detroitnews.com/story/entertainment/television/2022/09/26/ex-miss-michigan-taylor-hale-wins-big-brother-grand-prize/69518029007/ |access-date=October 8, 2022 |website=The Detroit News |language=en-US}}</ref> She did not place in the Miss USA 2021 Pageant, but she was awarded Miss Congeniality.<ref name=":2" />
== ''Big Brother'' == === Season 24 === CBS announced Hale as a ''Big Brother 24'' houseguest on July 5, 2022. Hale's fellow housemates ostracized her upon entering the house, making her an early target in the game and leading to her being nominated for eviction in each of the first two weeks. Hale was also the target of comments deemed microaggressive by some viewers of the show, and disparaging remarks about her appearance and personality.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Brockington |first=Ariana |date=July 12, 2022|title='Big Brother' alumni, fans call out 'reprehensible' treatment of cast member Taylor Hale |url=https://www.today.com/popculture/popculture/big-brother-taylor-hale-racism-bullying-season-24-rcna37727 |access-date=July 12, 2022|website=The Today Show|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Contreras |first=Cydney |date=July 11, 2022|title=Big Brother Alums Slam "Reprehensible" Behavior After Taylor Hale Is Reduced to Tears |url=https://www.eonline.com/news/1337489/big-brother-alums-slam-reprehensible-behavior-after-taylor-hale-is-reduced-to-tears |access-date=July 12, 2022|website=E!}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Longeretta |first=Emily |date=July 11, 2022|title='Big Brother' Casting Producer, Former Houseguests Demand Change Amid Taylor Hale Bullying |url=https://variety.com/2022/tv/news/big-brother-24-taylor-hale-racism-casting-1235313551/ |access-date=July 12, 2022|website=Variety|language=en-US}}</ref> During the third week, Hale joined "The Leftovers" alliance,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Palinkas |first=Lorianne |date=August 8, 2022|title=Big Brother: Why The Leftovers Is Such A Refreshing Alliance |url=https://screenrant.com/big-brother-why-leftovers-refreshing-alliance/ |access-date=October 8, 2022|website=Screen Rant|language=en-US}}</ref> securing her safety for the remainder of the season. Hale won two Head of Household competitions; during weeks six and eleven.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Tinoco |first=Armando |date=September 26, 2022|title='Big Brother' Makes History Again In Season 24 Finale |url=https://deadline.com/2022/09/big-brother-makes-history-season-24-finale-winner-1235127019/ |access-date=October 8, 2022|website=Deadline Hollywood|language=en-US}}</ref>
Hale was awarded the $750,000 grand prize by the season's jury, winning by a vote of 8–1 over Monte Taylor, and she became the first African American woman to win a regular season of ''Big Brother''.<ref name=":0" /> She is also the first houseguest to win both the game and the America's Favorite Houseguest prize, awarding her an additional $50,000.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Palinkas |first=Lorianne |date=September 26, 2022 |title=Big Brother: Taylor Hale Shocked She Won America's Favorite Houseguest |url=https://screenrant.com/big-brother-taylor-hale-shocked-she-won-americas-favorite-houseguest/ |access-date=October 8, 2022 |website=Screen Rant |language=en-US}}</ref> With total cash winnings of $800,000, Hale has won the most money of any houseguest in the history of the series.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Brockington |first=Ariana |date=September 26, 2022|title=Taylor Hale makes history as the first Black woman to win 'Big Brother' |url=https://www.today.com/popculture/tv/taylor-hale-big-brother-season-24-winner-rcna49459 |access-date=October 8, 2022|website=The Today Show|language=en}}</ref>
=== Season 25 === Hale was interviewed for the ''Big Brother 25th Anniversary Celebration'' ahead of ''Big Brother 25''. She later returned in the season to discuss the gameplay during Week 14's eviction episode.
=== Season 26 === Hale appeared on a special episode of ''Big Brother 26'' alongside fellow winners Cody Calafiore (from seasons 16 and 22) and Jag Bains (from season 25) to look back on the first three weeks of the season and reveal the next twist. She returned later in the season, where she began taking over for fellow winner Will Kirby (from seasons 2 and 7) as the new host of the Jury Roundtable.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Tharp |first=Sharon |date=October 10, 2024|title='Big Brother' Season 24 Winner Taylor Hale Steps In As New Jury Roundtable Host (Exclusive) |url=https://parade.com/entertainment/big-brother-taylor-hale-jury-roundtable-host |access-date=July 23, 2025|website=Parade |language=en}}</ref>
=== Season 27 === Hale and fellow winner Derrick Levasseur (from season 16) return to host a new companion show—''Big Brother: Unlocked''. It will air bi-weekly on Fridays beginning July 25, 2025. They will be joined by mystery celebrity guests and surprise ''Big Brother'' alumni to recap ''Big Brother 27''. Six episodes are planned to air throughout the season.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://tvline.com/casting-news/big-brother-unlocked-taylor-hale-derrick-levasseur-hosting-1235477248/ |title=Big Brother: Unlocked: Which Two Former Houseguests Are Hosting Season 27’s Companion Series? |website=TVLine|last=Caruso|first=Nick|date=July 22, 2025|access-date=July 22, 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2025/tv/news/big-brother-season-27-release-date-unlocked-1236396649/|title='Big Brother' Season 27 Sets July Premiere Date, Launches Friday Night 'Unlocked' Segment With Returning All-Stars|last=Minton|first=Matt|date=May 14, 2025|access-date=July 23, 2025|website=Variety}}</ref>
=== ''Reindeer Games'' === In 2023, Hale returned to ''Big Brother'' to compete in the holiday spin-off season, ''Big Brother Reindeer Games''.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Longeretta |first=Emily|date=December 7, 2023 |title='Big Brother Reindeer Games' Cast: Meet the Past Winners and Fan-Favorites Competing in the Holiday Showdown|url=https://variety.com/gallery/big-brother-reindeer-games-cast|access-date=December 7, 2023 |website=Variety |language=en}}</ref> She finished as the runner-up of the season.
==Filmography== ===Television=== {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Year ! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |- | 2021 | ''Miss USA 2021'' | Contestant | Miss Congeniality |- | 2022 | ''Big Brother 24'' | Contestant | {{won|Winner; America’s Favorite HouseGuest (35 episodes)}} |- | 2022–23 | ''The Bold and the Beautiful'' | McKenzie | {{CGuest|Guest star (4 episodes)}} |- | rowspan="2"|2023 | ''Big Brother 25'' | Guest | 25th Anniversary Celebration (2 episodes) |- | ''Big Brother Reindeer Games'' | Contestant | {{Runner-up}} (6 episodes) |- | 2024 | ''Big Brother 26'' | Guest | Jury Roundtable Host (2 episodes) |- | rowspan="3"| 2025 | ''Big Brother 27'' | Guest | (2 episodes) |- | ''Big Brother: Unlocked'' | Host | Companion show with ''Big Brother 27'' (6 episodes)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://tvline.com/casting-news/big-brother-unlocked-taylor-hale-derrick-levasseur-hosting-1235477248/ |title=Big Brother: Unlocked: Which Two Former Houseguests Are Hosting Season 27’s Companion Series? |website=TVLine|last=Caruso|first=Nick|date=July 22, 2025|access-date=July 22, 2025}}</ref> |- | ''The Amazing Race 38'' | Contestant | {{Runner-up}} (12 episodes) |}
== References == {{reflist}}
== External links == {{S-start}} {{S-ach}} {{succession box | before=Chanel Johnson | title={{nowrap|Miss Michigan USA}} | years=2021 | after=Aria Hutchinson }} {{succession box | title= Winner of ''Big Brother'' | before=Xavier Prather| years=''Season 24''| after= Jagateshwar "Jag" Bains}} {{s-end}}
{{Big Brother (U.S. TV series) contestants}} {{Michigan Pageant Winners}} {{Miss USA 2021 delegates}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hale, Taylor}} Category:1994 births Category:African-American beauty pageant winners Category:African-American female models Category:Big Brother (American TV series) winners Category:Columbian College of Arts and Sciences alumni Category:Detroit Country Day School alumni Category:Female models from Michigan Category:Living people Category:Television personalities from Detroit Category:The Amazing Race contestants