Alright, I have a confession to make. When I heard that Kansas City Chiefs player and boyfriend of Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce, would serve as the host of Prime Video's Are You Smarter Than a Celebrity, my expectations were not high. I mean, yes, the star athlete proved he's got some acting chops in Ryan Murphy's Grotesquerie, but hosting a trivia game show in front of a live audience is very different from portraying a flirty nurse on a horror drama.
To be fair, my exposure to game shows is mostly limited to Family Feud and Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, but I've seen enough to know that it takes quite a bit of charisma and humor to do the job well. Plus, hosts are solid communicators and quick thinkers who can expertly navigate surprises to keep things running smoothly. So, you can understand why I wasn't sure how the football player would live up to these expectations.
Now, two episodes later, all my doubts are gone, because Kelce is actually really good.
In case you're unfamiliar with the game show series, it invites contestants to answer a series of questions about things they learned in grade school. Each question is categorized by grade and subject, and the contestant gets a chance to win up to $100,000. But if they ever get stuck, they can enlist the help of a classroom full of celebrities—like Nikki Glaser, Nicole Byer and Ryan Fitzpatrick.
In the first episode, from the moment he first appears on the stage, it seems like Kelce is completely at ease. With a dazzling smile, he eggs on the crowd, busts a few moves and looks directly into the camera as he welcomes everyone to the show. Then, he greets the very first contestant and proceeds to shower him with encouragement and compliments before breaking down the basics of the game.
From his contagious enthusiasm to his improvised jokes, one would think he's been doing this for years. For instance, after revealing that he majored in criminal justice, he quipped, "I said, 'If I'm gonna go to school, I might as well learn how to not go to jail.'" And he doesn't hesitate to engage in a little playful banter with the celebrities.
Kelce's got the charm, he's the ultimate hype man and he has already nailed the art of establishing a solid connection with the contestants throughout the show. Plus, I saw no signs of nervousness and he didn't flub once. If you ask me, that's seriously impressive for a newbie—and I'm almost certain that game show legends like Steve Harvey would be proud.
Are You Smarter Than a Celebrity is now available to stream on Prime Video.
Wait, Did Travis Kelce Really Pay Tribute to Taylor Swift in 'Grotesquerie'?
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