A lifelong Chiefs fan had the experience of a lifetime after getting to dance with Travis Kelce during the Tuesday, December 3, episode of Are You Smarter Than a Celebrity?
“Now he’s danced with Taylor Swift and me,” Allie Dees told the Owensboro Times in an interview published on Wednesday, December 4. “I popped out of the womb a Chiefs fan. Meeting Travis Kelce and dancing on stage with him was surreal.”
Dees, a traveling nurse who currently lives in San Diego, took the stage in April earlier this year to compete on the Amazon Prime game show, which Kelce, 35, hosts. The Kentucky native ended up walking away with $15,000 after correctly answering the minimum five questions to take home the prize; however, the subject of geography nearly cost her the winnings.
“I had to name a U.S. territory that borders Canada but doesn’t touch the mainland,” she told the outlet after the episode aired. “I panicked and guessed Washington. Looking back, it’s embarrassing because the answer was Alaska.”
In addition to appearing on Are You Smarter Than a Celebrity?, Dees said she also appeared in a commercial for financial technology company Chime, where she said she won $100,000.
“This whole year has been a whirlwind. Between the game show and the commercial, I’ve been able to live out some incredible dreams,” she continued before reflecting on her experience with Kelce and her time on the show.
“Up on stage, I just wanted to be authentic and enjoy every second,” she said. “That mindset allowed me to fully embrace the moment and have fun.”
It was announced in April that Kelce would serve as host of the new game show, which premiered on Amazon Prime in October and is based on the Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader? series.
“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?” Kelce said in a statement earlier this year. “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.”
A source exclusively told Us Weekly that same month why the Kansas City Chiefs tight end was the perfect pick for the show.
“He’s funny and has the wits for it,” the insider dished to Us. “He’s the perfect host. It’s a great gig for him.”
The show was filmed earlier this year during the Chiefs offseason. The NFL team’s 2024-2025 season kicked off in September, with Kelce’s girlfriend, Swift, 34, making an appearance at Arrowhead Stadium during the Chiefs’ home opener against the Baltimore Ravens.
The Tortured Poets Department artist has since appeared at a total of six home games, with the most recent being the Chiefs’ November 29 game against the Las Vegas Raiders, which she attended with her dad, Scott Swift, and Kelce’s mom, Donna Kelce.
As the Chiefs take on the Los Angeles Chargers this weekend in the quest for their third consecutive Super Bowl title, the 14-time Grammy winner will be wrapping her years-long Eras Tour with a string of three shows in Vancouver beginning Friday, December 6. She’ll play her final show on Sunday, December 8.
Once the Eras Tour ends, Taylor is reportedly looking forward to spending more time with Travis, whom she began dating in the summer of 2023.
“Taylor and Travis are very committed and serious about their future,” a separate source exclusively told Us in September. “Taylor is ready for the next era of her life. She knows it will be special.”
A third insider added, “They’ve built a lot of trust. They both knew what they signed up for and navigated it well. They’re in love and don’t care what others think.”
