Jacoby was born in Sydney, Australia, the daughter of political refugees displaced through the Second World War.

[1] Growing up, Jacoby aspired to a career in the creative industries, although she was expelled from Pymble Ladies' College at the beginning of Year 10 “for being a pretty adventurous and difficult 15-year-old determined to push the boundaries”.

Jacoby's first job in television was as a researcher on Makin’ Trax, a children's show hosted by singer, Robin Jolley and produced at the studios of BTV6 Ballarat (1980).

In 1985 she moved to breakfast television as an on-air producer at Good Morning Australia (Network Ten) hosted by Kerri-Anne Kennerley and Gordon Elliott.

The following year (1986) Jacoby joined rival breakfast show, today with George Negus and Liz Hayes (Nine Network), rising through the ranks to supervising producer.

Towards the end of 1997 Jacoby was approached to set up an interview program with broadcaster, John Laws for Foxtel.

The LAWS program secured a world exclusive final interview with fugitive businessman, Christopher Skase at his home, La Noria in Majorca, Spain.

LAWS was broadcast five nights a week from 1998 to 2000 and guests included Earl Spencer, brother of Princess Diana, Helen Mirren, Viscount Linley, Jerry Lewis, and the Irish actor Richard Harris.

Towards the end of 2002 she was approached by Andrew Denton to become executive producer on Enough Rope for an initial 13-week series on the ABC.