Travis Kelce arrives at the Los Angeles Premiere Of Netflix's "Quarterback", Catching Kelce, Travis Kelce
Travis Kelce at the 'Quarterback' premiere; 'Catching Kelce' poster.
Travis Kelce said his 2016 dating show Catching Kelce was the "worst thing" he's ever done
The NFL star said he was "having fun" at the time, but didn't realize "everybody is going to be able to see this forever"
Despite finding reality show life disappointing, Kelce noted he had a "pretty solid year" with the Chiefs after the show aired
Travis Kelce looks back on his reality dating show, Catching Kelce, as the "worst thing" he's ever done.
Kelce, 35, brought up his 2016 E! series, which only lasted one season, during his appearance on the Bussin' With the Boys podcast on Tuesday, July 1. The show's hosts had asked Kelce if he could reveal any past run-ins with the law — to which he said he had none because he was a criminal justice major who "knew how to not go to jail" — or embarrassing photos he can't stand to see anymore.
Instead, the tight end offered that, "The worst thing I ever did was the dating show."
Kelce explained that the reality series, filmed after his rookie season in the NFL, ultimately didn't result in what he expected. "It didn't set me up for anything. I didn't realize what reality TV really was," he said, before joking, "I don't even think anybody watched it."
How to Watch 'Catching Kelce?' All About the Reality Dating Show Starring Travis Kelce
How to Watch 'Catching Kelce?' All About the Reality Dating Show Starring Travis Kelce
Looking back on the decision, Kelce said he felt like he was "having fun" at the time, but then he realized that "everybody is going to be able to see this forever."
After the show aired, it became prime material for his teammates to tease him about, Kelce said. "It's locker room banter, it's all fun."
And even after making his "worst" decision yet, Kelce noted that he still had a "pretty solid year" on the field with the Chiefs after the show. "It wasn't like I wasn't being accountable," he said.
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Kelce's 2016 series showed the tight end looking for love with 50 different women. In his monologue while hosting SNL in 2023, Kelce joked that the dating show was “kind of like The Bachelor, except instead of roses I handed out footballs," he explained in his monologue.
"And instead of watching, people did not,” Kelce continued to joke on SNL. “It was a little embarrassing, but I got really good at reality TV.”
Travis Kelce hosts Saturday Night Live on March 4, 2023.
Travis Kelce hosts Saturday Night Live on March 4, 2023.
Ahead of his hosting gig for Are You Smarter Than a Celebrity?, Kelce joked that he "erased all of those memories" from filming Catching Kelce, during an interview with PEOPLE. "What show are you talking about there?" he added with a laugh. "I'm kidding."
He also said he did learn one thing from filming his reality series that he applied to filming the 2024 game show. "I guess I learned how to kind of patiently wait on set," Kelce revealed. He referenced the process of "getting the cameras ready" before filming is "a little bit more waiting than people realize," especially "in the entertainment and TV world."
"I think that was probably the one thing I learned from Catching Kelce," he said.