Travis Kelce and Jason Kelce may be household names these days, but it seems like there are actually some people who don’t know who they are.
On the May 6 episode of “Celebrity Wheel of Fortune,” contestants Krysten Ritter, Christian Siriano and Sarah Levy struggled to solve the puzzle “Travis & Jason Kelce” in the "family" category.
Ritter was only a “J,” “K” and “C” away from filling in the blanks when someone — it’s not clear if it was Ritter or Levy — said, “I don’t know what that last word is.”
Ritter spun again and guessed “J,” inching ever closer to getting the whole puzzle, even though she appeared vexed by the Kelce who went viral for going shirtless and the other Kelce who generates headlines for going to the Kentucky Derby (among other things). She spun yet again, guessing “C,” prompting Siriano to ask, “What is this word?”
Ritter spun a final time and guessed “K,” meaning the entire solved puzzle appeared on the screen, leaving her only to say it. She then said, “Travis and Jason Kelce,” pronouncing the last name without adding a long “e” sound at the end.
“We will take that,” host Pat Sajak said.
“I don’t know who they are,” Ritter said.
“They’re football players!” Levy said to her before explaining how she’s familiar with them, with a mention of a certain A-list pop star who you are probably aware is dating Travis Kelce.
“Well, it’s a Taylor Swift thing. Sadly, it’s the only reason why I know who …” Levy continued, before Sajak chimed in to explain why they accepted Ritter’s pronunciation.
“They call them 'Kel-see,' but one of them has said they like 'Kels,' as well, so we would’ve taken either, in that case,” he said.
The boys’ father, Ed Kelce, has said "Kels" is actually the proper pronunciation, but he went along with how other people said it.
“I got tired of correcting people,” Ed Kelce said on his sons’ “New Heights” podcast in 2023, adding that his boys also thought it was pronounced “Kel-see” because their mother thought that was correct. “That was the name that I went by at work.”
“That was my work name. And everybody at work (said) that and so I just said, ‘Fine, screw this,’” Ed Kelce continued, adding that his father also went by “Kel-see.”