Kelly Clarkson is headed to Paris this summer. The singer and daytime talker announced on Tuesday night (March 12) that she will be joining NFL hall of famer Peyton Manning and veteran NBC sportscaster Mike Tirico as hosts of the opening ceremonies of the 2024 Summer Olympics.
“You know, Peyton hosted the Country Music Awards, Kelly’s one of the greatest of all time, so the three of us are going to do an album,” Tirico joked to Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon in introducing the three-headed hosting crew for the first time.
“I’m so glad we can say it. We’ve been holding this forever,” Clarkson said about the exciting news that the trio will anchor the live coverage of the kick-off to the summer spectacular that will air on NBC and Peacock at noon ET on July 26 and find more than 10,000 athletes parading through the heart of the French capital. The hosts brought along examples of the gold medals that will be handed out at both the Olympics and Paralympics, each of which has a tiny piece of the Eiffel Tower embedded in them.
“The opening ceremony is going to be so different and unique. Down the Seine, down the river with the athletes on a boat, so it’s not the stadium where they walk in,” said four-time opening ceremony host Tirico, who was also asked which athletes or teams fans should be looking out for. “It will incorporate Paris. And the games are going to be amazing as you know, swimming, gymnastics … Simon Biles, Katie Ledecky, Team USA in track and field could be incredibly strong, the Dream Team, the U.S. soccer team, the women’s basketball team.”
Fallon asked each host what they might win a gold medal for, with two-time NFL champ Manning jumping in with a most unexpected skill: event planning. “It’s kind of my true calling,” Manning said. Tirico weighed in with his skill, which is being an expert packer and travel-planner, while Clarkson said she is “not like that at all,” and hates planning vacations. If, however, you need help building something out of LEGO, she’s your lady. “I am the Simone Biles of LEGOs,” she said. “I am incredible at LEGOs.”
The gold medal trio were back after a break for a game of “Olympictionary,” with Clarkson up first in the game with Olympics-inspired clues. You should watch for yourself, but suffice it to say that Clarkson clearly need to bone up on her badminton knowledge given her very NSFW drawing that made teammate Fallon’s cheeks as red as a rooster’s waddle.
Watch Clarkson’s announcement and her not-ready-for-prime-time game show clue below.