Amazon Prime Video announced that NFL star Travis Kelce, tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs, will host the new game show ‘Are You Smarter Than a Celebrity?,’ a spinoff of the series ‘Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?’ Amazon Prime Video posted on their socials: “the man with the answers. Travis Kelce will host ARE YOU SMARTER THAN A CELEBRITY? Coming soon to Prime Video.” Twenty episodes of the new game show have been ordered, though no launch date has been set.
Each game will feature an adult contestant who will call on a classroom full of celebrities to help them answer 11 questions on a range of subjects, pulled from elementary school curriculum, in pursuit of a $100,000 prize. An official synopsis reads: “they are not competing against the stars… they’re enlisting their help and, in some cases, can even ‘cheat’ off of them. 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 6th grade level.”
Lauren Anderson, head of AVOD originals unscripted and targeted programming at Amazon MGM Studios, said in a press release: “For years, fans around the world have tested their smarts with this fun, nostalgic game show, and we look forward to bring this reimagined format to Prime Video. 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.”
Kelce says in a statement via Entertainment Weekly: “I grew up loving game shows, 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?’ 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.”
Kelce is an eight-time Pro Bowler and four-time All-Pro; his new hosting gig comes months after winning Super Bowl LVIII with the Chiefs in February (his third Super Bowl win) He is also famously dating superstar Taylor Swift, and hosts a podcast called ‘New Heights’ with his brother, former NFL offensive lineman Jason Kelce.
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