Travis Kelce Says He ‘Can’t Really Read That Well,’ So the SNL Table Read Was the ‘Hardest F—— Part’ of His 2023 Hosting Debut

Hosting Saturday Night Live was a pinch-me moment for Travis Kelce, there’s no doubt, but it wasn’t nerve-racking in the way you might assume it was.

On the July 1 episode of the Bussin’ With The Boys podcast, the 35-year-old reflected on his hosting debut in March 2023, which came shortly after he and the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Philadelphia Eagles — including his older brother, Jason Kelce — in the Super Bowl.

During the conversation, Travis was candid about some of the challenges he faced preparing for the major role and the pressure he put on himself to be at his best.

He wanted to make sure the cast knew he was taking the role seriously.

Travis said on the podcast that he feels “so much more comfortable” working in the comedy space compared to other scripted roles he’s had — like starring in Grotesquerie with Niecy Nash-Betts last year — so SNL was right up his alley in a way.

Still, he was very conscious to remain “professional” in the setting and not behave like he was taking “advantage” of the opportunity.

“I wanna have fun doing it, but I don’t wanna look like a loser doing this. I wanna make them respect my approach and how I’m taking it serious[ly],” he said.

“But it was just a fun roller-coaster. You’re there all week, f—— up to 2, 3 in the morning every day just trying to knock stuff out, do some of the prerecorded stuff,” Travis recalled. “That was insane. That was a crazy ride. That was fun.”

His biggest challenge came on the day of the table read.

When he was asked about the writers’ room specifically on the show, Travis said they were “fun because you’re just getting pitched ideas,” but there was one part of the week that really stood out to him: the table read.

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“For a guy that can’t really read that well, it was kind of a f—– situation,” he admitted.

“I felt like I was just trying to get through the reading instead of actually acting it out and giving it a voice and giving it a character and things like that. Like, I was just focused on, ‘Don’t f——- skip this line.'”

Calling himself “more of an audio guy,” Travis said, “The table read was the hardest f—— part.”

Despite his nerves, he raved about the once-in-a-lifetime experience afterward, calling it “so cool.”

Two months after he made his hosting debut, the tight end told PEOPLE it “was an experience that was like nothing else that I’ve ever gone through.”

“I just can’t thank them enough for giving me that opportunity, because I didn’t know I was going to enjoy scripted comedy, or that entire entertainment world as much as I did, until I was on a set and going through the week of preparation.”

It was especially fun for him given that he and Jason “grew up watching SNL whenever we had a chance to sit down on Saturday nights,” he said.

It also sparked a broader interest in acting, Travis said. “I’m definitely interested, but that’s a whole new craft that I feel like I really got to lock in and focus on.”