Travis Kelce’s side gig as the host of Are You Smarter Than A Celebrity? has something in common with his NFL career—plenty of references to his high-profile romance with Taylor Swift. During a recent episode of the Amazon Prime game show, Kelce posed a trivia question asking contestants about the real name of singer Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, better known as Lady Gaga.
Comedians Natasha Leggero and Nikki Glaser quickly recognized the answer but couldn’t resist steering the conversation toward Kelce’s famous girlfriend, Taylor Swift.
“We love Lady Gaga, but we don’t love her as much as any other blonde singers,” Leggero teased, alluding to Swift without directly mentioning her name.
Glaser added with a playful smirk, “Not even close,” making it clear who she was referring to.
Kelce, grinning at the not-so-subtle reference to Swift, responded in stride: “I will have to agree with you on that. I do concur,” embracing the moment with his usual charm.
The first three episodes of Are You Smarter Than A Celebrity? debuted last week, and Kelce’s hosting skills have been widely praised by fans. Although this is new territory for the Kansas City Chiefs tight end, viewers have taken to social media to express their excitement over his debut.
One fan wrote on X (formerly Twitter), “I finished the first three episodes of Are You Smarter Than A Celebrity… and all I have to say is TRAV IS ABSOLUTELY KILLING IT.”
Another chimed in, “Are You Smarter than a Celebrity?… that was fun! Travis was amazing and the celebs were great! Excited for the next episode.”
Others echoed the sentiment, with one viewer adding, “Travis is sooo good in Are You Smarter Than A Celebrity. Like he’s a pro. Wow.”
RELATED: How Travis Kelce Handles Flirty Fans Unveiled Amid Taylor Swift Romance
Even some well-known memes made their way into the conversation, with one fan posting the famous image of former U.S. President George W. Bush looking shocked, joking, “They are saying that Travis Kelce is killing it on Grotesquerie and Are You Smarter Than A Celebrity? They say he’s a natural.”
Kelce’s venture into television hosting isn’t the only project keeping him busy outside of football. The two-time Super Bowl champion has also recently dipped his toes into acting, making his debut in Ryan Murphy’s horror series Grotesquerie, which premiered on FX earlier this month.
Adding to his growing list of TV appearances, Kelce has even secured a role in the upcoming Happy Gilmore sequel, where he’ll star alongside Adam Sandler.
While Kelce’s transition from NFL star to TV personality has impressed many, his Are You Smarter Than A Celebrity? co-star, comedian Ron Funches, admitted that Kelce’s journey to becoming a polished host wasn’t without its challenges. Funches explained that Kelce faced some initial jitters but quickly adapted to the role.
“I got to watch his whole progression, and it was really fun to see him come in a little bit unsure, like anyone would be on their first day at a job—especially if it’s so different from your normal job,” Funches told Newsweek. “You know, he had some hiccups here and there, but you could see how much he cared.”
Natasha Leggero, another celebrity featured on the show, shared her surprise at how well Kelce handled his hosting duties. “We loved him. He was so cute and so prepared. He really blew me away because I did not have very high expectations,” she told the outlet. “You could tell he took it really seriously, and he killed it.”
Though Kelce’s hosting debut wasn’t without its growing pains, his charm, dedication, and willingness to step out of his comfort zone have earned him plenty of praise from both fans and his co-stars.
Whether he’s catching touchdowns on the football field or cracking jokes on TV, Kelce continues to prove that he’s a star both on and off the gridiron.
