Kelly Clarkson is going to Paris this summer. The singer and daytime talker announced Tuesday night (March 12) that she will join NFL great Peyton Manning and veteran NBC sportscaster Mike Tirico as hosts of the opening ceremonies of the Summer Olympics 2024.
“You know, Peyton hosted the Country Music Awards, Kelly is one of the greatest of all time, so the three of us are going to make an album,” Tirico joked. Tonight show host Jimmy Fallon introducing the three-headed hosting crew for the first time.
“I'm so glad we can say it. We're keeping this forever,” Clarkson said of the exciting news that the trio will provide live coverage of the inaugural summer show that will air on NBC and the Peacock at noon ET on July 26 and find more than 10,000 athletes marching in the heart of the French capital. The hosts brought with them examples of the gold medals to be awarded at both the Olympic and Paralympic Games, each with a tiny piece of the Eiffel Tower embedded in it.
“The opening ceremony will be so different and unique. Down the Seine, down the river with the athletes in a boat, so it's not the stage they're walking on,” said Tirico, who was also asked which athletes or teams fans should watch out for at the opening ceremony. “It will incorporate Paris. And the games are going to be amazing like you know, swimming, gymnastics… Simon Biles, Katie Ledecky, Team USA in track and field could be incredibly strong, the Dream Team, the USA soccer team, the women's basketball team.”
Fallon asked each host why he could win a gold medal, with two-time NFL champion Manning jumping in with a very unexpected skill: event planning. “It's my true calling,” Manning said. Tirico raved about his ability, which is an expert packer and travel planner, while Clarkson said he's “not like that at all” and hates planning holidays. If, however, you need help building something out of LEGO, she's your lady. “I'm the Simone Biles of LEGO,” she said. “I'm incredible at LEGOs.”
The trio of gold medalists returned after a break for a game of “Olympictionary,” with Clarkson leading the game with Olympic-inspired cues. You'll have to watch for yourself, but suffice it to say that Clarkson clearly needs to brush up on her badminton knowledge, given her very NSFW sketch that made her teammate Fallon's cheeks as red as a rooster's rabbit.
Watch Clarkson's announcement and hint of the game not being ready for prime-time below.
from our partners at https://www.billboard.com/culture/tv-film/kelly-clarkson-peyton-manning-mike-tirico-2024-summer-olympics-opening-ceremony-hosts-paris-1235631830/