Travis Kelce’s Quiz Show Debut Had ‘Hiccups,’ Co-Star Says

Travis Kelce is not only a superstar on the gridiron, but also in front of the television host’s camera – despite a few speed bumps along the way.

The Kansas City Chiefs tight end makes his debut as host of the new quiz show this week Are you smarter than a celebrity? The premiere will take place on October 16th on Amazon’s Prime Video and the three-time Super Bowl winner will take over the direction of the quiz show, which is based on the hit series Are you smarter than a fifth grader?

It brings a new twist to the original format, in which an adult participant relies on a classroom of celebrities to help them answer 11 questions on a range of topics from the elementary school curriculum, all in the hopes of winning a Win a $100,000 prize.

While Kelce has previously proven his TV skills as a presenter Saturday Night Live in 2023 and currently starring in Ryan Murphy’s latest FX series, grotesqueit’s his first time being the star of a show.

Comedian Ron Funches was among the celebrities who showed off their skills in the television classroom, appearing in many episodes of the first season where he was able to witness firsthand how Kelce’s hosting skills developed.

“I got to see his whole development and it was really fun to see him come in a little unsure, like anyone would be on their first day of work, especially when it’s so different from your normal job,” Funches said Newsweek.

“You know, he had a few hiccups here and there, and you can see how much he cared.”

Funches also said that Kelce “was really about making sure he did the best job possible.”

Kelce “also wanted the contestants to win and for everyone to feel happy and have fun,” the comedian said.

“You often meet people who are a lot less successful than him and they say, ‘I’m better than you,’ but he doesn’t have any of that,” Funches added of the NFL star.

Other stars helping people win up to $100,000 on Prime Video’s new quiz show include Nikki Glaser, Natasha Leggero, Nicole Byer, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Chad Ochocinco, Garcelle Beauvais, Lala Kent, Sophia Stallone and Lilly Singh.

Funches made sure to prepare before his performance Are you smarter than a celebrity? by using his video game skills.

“I researched online, watched a lot of YouTube videos about different grades and asked myself, ‘What is taught in third grade math? What concepts are being taught back then?’ I did it to know what to expect on each topic and to see what I wanted to avoid,” he said.

“And then I’m a big video gamer too and I found out they had one Are you smarter than a fifth grader? video game, and so I played it when I went home to see what questions might come my way.

The first three episodes of Are You Smarter Than A Celebrity? Premieres October 16, 2024 on Prime Video.