Chip Gaines Says Jason Kelce’s Shirtless Moment Inspired New Hamster Show

It seems like retired NFL player and ESPN analyst Jason Kelce has done it all, but being the inspiration behind a game show involving hamsters probably wasn’t on anyone’s bingo card.

“Fixer Upper” stars Chip and Joanna Gaines stopped by TODAY on Oct. 22 to discuss some new shows debuting on Magnolia Network, the couple’s joint venture with Warner Bros.

The couple discussed their upcoming game show “Human vs Hamster,” a competition series that pits humans against trained hamsters in various athletic competitions.

“This came from the mind of Chip Gaines,” he told Hoda Kotb and Savannah Guthrie.

Chip Gaines explained that his inspiration for the show comes from an unlikely place: shirtless Jason Kelce at a Kansas City Chiefs playoff game.

In January, Kelce went viral for his shirtless antics at the Chiefs’ game against the Buffalo Bills. He also invited a young Taylor Swift fan to meet the pop star in the Kelce-Swift suite.

Chip Gaines said seeing the former Philadelphia Eagles center’s appearance in the game, specifically when he ripped his shirt to reveal his burly chest, was the moment inspiration struck for him.

“I feel like I was inspired… Jason Kelce, he rips his shirt off in some stadium and something in that moment inspired me to this idea, ‘Hamsters vs. Humans,’” ​​recalled Chip Gaines. “So I feel like I should throw him a bone, in the sense that he was the one who inspired the whole idea.”

He then emphasized how inspiring a shirtless Jason Kelce was to him.

“When I saw him rip his shirt off, I felt like I wanted to be hairier. I wanted to be hairier. Have you ever had that thought?” Chip Gaines jokingly asked Savannah and Hoda.

The “Human vs Hamster” competition series will feature teams of human competitors who must go through various athletic challenges before facing off against hamsters in a multi-stage obstacle course called “The Cage,” according to a press release from Warner Bros. .

Joanna Gaines said the show’s hamster team is “very smart” and “has been training” for the competition.

“(They’re) terribly athletic little creatures,” Chip Gaines said in agreement.

The eight-episode series is set to premiere on November 21 and will be hosted by NFL commentator Kyle Brandt and “Saturday Night Live” cast member Sarah Sherman. TV personality Brian Balthazar is also expected to be the show’s “resident hamster enthusiast,” according to the release.

“Human vs Hamster” isn’t the only competitive show debuting on the network. Joanna Gaines, a passionate skater, talked about “Roller Jam” on TODAY. The six-episode series features the top skating teams in the U.S. showcasing routines in hopes of being crowned the show’s winners and winning a cash prize.

“Jo wants to do a skating show that’s like ‘Dancing with the Stars’ but about roller skates,” Chip Gaines explained on TODAY with Hoda and Jenna. “And, of course, I had the brilliant idea of ​​having hamsters compete against humans side by side.”