Jason Kelce might be a new late-night talk show host, but that doesn’t give him unrestricted freedom with his vocabulary.
On Saturday, Jan. 4, the former NFL player introduced his new show They Call It Late Night with Jason Kelce on ESPN. The initial episode welcomed several guests, including fellow late-night host Jimmy Kimmel, Inside the NBA host Charles Barkley, and musician Lil Dicky.
After the episode was filmed live on Friday, Jan. 3, the former Philadelphia Eagles center, now 37, spoke to the press and shared that ESPN allowed him to test the limits of his language, though they advised him to be "cautious" with using F-bombs.
"I'm really waiting to see the reaction," Kelce remarked about the first episode, notable for its strong language. "It's a late-night show. We'll find out the next morning how it was received."
He confessed he might have gone overboard with the swearing, but he did so to remain "authentic."
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| Jason Kelce (center right) talks with Lil Dicky, Brian Baldinger, and Charles Barkley during the premiere episode of 'They Call it Late Night with Jason Kelce'. "We wanted the language to be true to who I am," he stated. "We went a bit overboard today to give the audience a preview of what to expect." |
Kelce added, "I was advised to be somewhat cautious with the F-bombs. Nevertheless, they wanted me to feel free to be myself, so we were exploring boundaries where such language might be acceptable."
"I think the intensity of the language will probably decrease naturally in the upcoming episodes," he said.
A day before the show's premiere, the former football player talked to PEOPLE about what viewers can anticipate from the show.
The aim, he mentioned, is to integrate sports with comedy.
"It's a late-night comedy show," he clarified. "We have a talented team of comedic writers who will ensure the show is humorous, as that's not my forte."
The program, which airs on Saturdays at 1 a.m. EST on ESPN, is recorded with a live audience in Philadelphia.
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| Jason Kelce delivers his opening monologue during the filming of 'They Call It Late Night with Jason Kelce'. |
"We'll incorporate great clips and soundbites from the game's history and recent weeks," he noted about the show's football discussions. "We'll have panelists who can provide insights, ranging from former players and coaches to fans and other elite athletes."
Kelce also told PEOPLE that he envisions They Call It Late Night as "a weekly gathering spot to have fun and discuss a sport we all adore and a culture that is very close to our hearts."
He added, "So I'm genuinely excited about it.