One Of Jason Kelce's Shirtless Stunts Gave HGTV Alum Chip Gaines Major Inspo

Chip Gaines and Joanna Gaines have taken their HGTV success and turned it into their own venture called the Magnolia Network. Despite home renovations and interior design being how the Gaines' launched their career, the Magnolia Network has a wider range of programming. One of its reality shows set to premiere in November 2024 is "Human vs. Hamster." Like the name implies, human contestants and hamster contestants compete against each other in various challenges meant to test intelligence and physical abilities.

Chip gave the scoop on how he supposedly came up with the show idea based on former Philadelphia Eagles player Jason Kelce's antics. At a January 2024 NFL game, Jason's younger brother Travis Kelce got a touchdown for the Kansas City Chiefs while playing the Buffalo Bills. Jason tore off his shirt and yelled in victory, also leaving his suite through an open window and meandering among the fans in the stands. Jason even stepped up for a Taylor Swift fan by holding her up to the suite's window to see the singer.

Chip told Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb of "Today" in October 2024 about Jason's viral shirtlessness and said, "Something about that moment inspired me about this idea, hamsters versus humans. And so I feel like I should throw him a bone in the sense that I feel like he was the one who inspired the whole idea." Chip also joked, "When I saw him rip his shirt off, I just felt, 'I wish I was furrier. I wish I was hairier.'"

Per People, Chip Gaines gave Jason Kelce's bare-chested display at the football game a shout-out at PaleyFest as well. He added, "I just thought, you know what would be funny? Humans versus hamsters." Although Gaines' story about Kelce fostering the inception of "Human vs. Hamster" is a funny one, when digging a little deeper, the timing does not really add up.

The "Human vs. Hamster" show was announced by Variety in November 2023, along with three other upcoming Magnolia Network shows. Then, the All Casting website had a casting call open for "Human vs. Hamster" that closed in December 2023. That seems to show that Gaines and the Magnolia Network had the show's concept set in stone before January 2024, when Kelce took his shirt off at the Chiefs versus Bills game.

It's possible that the competition show's concept had already been decided, but maybe shirtless Kelce was somehow an omen for Gaines that the show would be a success. Or maybe name-dropping Kelce was simply a way to get buzz for "Human vs. Hamster," due to Kelce's many A-list interactions in 2024. If that's the case, it worked, at the very least evidenced by The List weighing in.