Travis Kelce has a new addition to his résume: gameshow host. The Super Bowl-winning Kansas City Chiefs tight end has landed his first TV series job as the host of a spin-off of the erstwhile Fox series Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? for Amazon Prime Video.
The new series, titled Are You Smarter Than a Celebrity?, will see adult contestants answering sixth-grade-level trivia questions with the help of famous faces from stage, screen and sports, rather than against actual elementary school students. Amazon has ordered 20 episodes of the spin-off hosted by the three-time Super Bowl champ, whose profile has shot to new heights in recent months thanks to his much-discussed, real-life romcom relationship with the pop star Taylor Swift.
“I grew up loving gameshows, and I’m excited to be following in the footsteps of so many TV icons by hosting my very first one with Are You Smarter Than a Celebrity?” Kelce said in a statement. “The original show is a great success, so to be bringing a new format with everyone’s favorite celebrities to the screen, will definitely be entertaining.
“I’m just happy to be on the hosting side of the equation here and excited to see how these famous faces keep up,” he added.
In the new series, adult contestants will rely on a “classroom” full of celebrities to help them answer 11 questions from an elementary school curriculum in an effort to win a $100,000 cash prize. “They are not competing against the stars, they’re enlisting their help and, in some cases, can even ‘cheat’ off of them,” according to a statement. “And on the final question, worth $100,000, the contestant selects one celebrity to discuss the answer with before locking in. The final question is always at the sixth-grade level.”
“After producing more than 3,000 episodes of Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? globally, we wanted to come up with a new, loud twist on the format,” said Barry Poznick, general manager of MGM Alternative and original series co-creator. “Replacing the kids with celebrities gives us more laughs and surprises, like a roast, as contestants cheat off their famous classmates. And now, with the ultimate class clown, Travis Kelce, hosting, viewers should expect the unexpected.”
Kelce will succeed comedian Jeff Foxworthy, who hosted the original Fox show when it premiered in 2007 to 27 million viewers in what is still the most-watched gameshow premiere in broadcast history. Foxworthy hosted the show until its cancellation in 2011, and again for a single season in 2015. Nickelodeon briefly revived the show for another single season in 2019, hosted by the actor and wrestler John Cena. The concept has lived on as a board game, companion book and late-night show bit.
“For years, fans around the world have tested their smarts with this fun, nostalgic gameshow, and we look forward to bring this reimagined format to Prime Video,” said Lauren Anderson, head of AVOD originals unscripted and targeted programming for Amazon MGM Studios. “Travis has proven to be an incredible talent on and off the field, and we appreciate the trust he has placed in us with his first foray into television. His natural, comedic dynamic with our panelists and guests, coupled with some exciting new twists, will keep our global customers coming back week after week.”
The 34-year-old athlete has been open about setting up his transition from the football field to other public-facing ventures, including a coveted hosting gig on Saturday Night Live. He is a producer on the upcoming documentary King Pleasure, about artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, and recently launched his own music festival. Kelce Jam will take place on 28 April in Kansas City and feature such artists as Lil Wayne and Diplo, among others. Kelce is also the host of the podcast New Heights with his brother, Jason Kelce, an All-Pro NFL center who last month announced his retirement from the Philadelphia Eagles after 13 seasons.
