On the surface, Travis Kelce seems like the perfect candidate to host Saturday Night Live. A superstar athlete with a big personality typically ends up on SNL's radar. But according to one cast member, Lorne Michaels set a pretty high bar for Kelce to clear before he could host the show.
Kelce hosted on March 4, 2023. The season 48 episode came before his relationship with Taylor Swift went public. So while his star power wasn't quite at the peak it stands at now, Kelce was still a pretty big deal.
Cast member Heidi Gardner had championed Kelce as a potential host for years. Appearing on the Not Skinny but Not Fat podcast, Gardner revealed her Kansas City Chiefs fandom inspired her to push for Kelce as a Saturday Night Live host.
"The biggest swing I ever did in that department, and it did work, but it took a couple years, was Travis Kelce," Gardner said. "I don't want to take full credit from the show and the talent department, but I'm just, obviously a big Chiefs fan, and I had seen him do like other little acting gigs and appearances, and I was like, 'He's funny, he's charming.' I had done the ESPYs with him, announcing something together."
Lorne Michaels wasn't as eager to put Kelce in charge of his show. Gardner claimed the SNL creator set one condition for Kelce to host Saturday Night Live.
"Lorne was like, 'Well, he has to win the Super Bowl.' I was like, 'That is so much pressure to ask!' And then he won the Super Bowl!"
Less than a month prior to hosting SNL, Kelce and the Chiefs won Super Bowl LVII. They defeated the Philadelphia Eagles, led in part by center Jason Kelce.
Heidi Gardner and Travis Kelce shared a lot of screentime on Saturday Night Live
Heidi Gardner's efforts to get Travis Kelce to host Saturday Night Live were rewarded in more ways than one. The episode became very Gardner-centric, giving the Chiefs fan a memorable experience.
It started early in the week when Gardner appeared alongside Kelce in the episode promos. The two then co-starred in multiple sketches, including "Abby the Ex-Girlfriend," "Garrett from Hinge," and the cut-for-time sketch "NFL Gives Back."
Gardner also told the Not Skinny but Not Fat podcast that both Kelce brothers helped her tailgate before the episode. For a Chiefs fan, it doesn't get much better.
The cast member said "all my family came in for the show, all my friends. I got barbecue. We tailgated in the dressing room before the show." She invited the Kelce brothers, who sent over some tequila. Later, Gardner received a message.
"And then I get another text. I open it. It's a picture of Travis and Jason Kelce in my dressing room eating barbecue. I'm like, 'They're tailgating! They're here.'" According to Gardner, Kelce is the only SNL host to ever tailgate before hosting.
Kelce is only a bigger star now than when he hosted in 2023. And with the Chiefs among the favorites to win the Super Bowl, the tight end may be back in Studio 8H sooner than later.