“I was like, ‘I want this to feel as much like home as it can,’” the comedian said

Travis Kelce got a helping hand from Heidi Gardner during his March 2023 Saturday Night Live hosting debut.

During a Friday, May 3, appearance on Today with Hoda & Jenna, the SNL star, 40, shared what she did to make the Kansas City Chiefs tight end, 34, feel comfortable on the show.

“I was very protective,” explained Gardner, a Kansas City, Mo., native. “I asked him questions, which also, as a sports fan, I’m just interested in, but I was like, ‘On game day, what do you eat?’ And he was like, ‘Uncrustables. I’m just pounding Uncrustables.’ “

Travis Kelce and Heidi Gardner during a sketch on ‘SNL’. CARO SCARIMBOLO/NBC VIA GETTY

Gardner reminisced about heading to the store to purchase Kelce the tasty snack on show day.

“I thought, ‘I want this to feel as much like home as it can,’” she recounted.

Kelce evidently appreciated the gesture, as Gardner recollects their conversation just before rehearsing a sketch that involved them lying in bed together.

“He leaned over to me right before lights up on the scene and said, ‘I’ve been eating the Uncrustables all day.’ And I was like, ‘Cool,’” Gardner recalled, adding that he ultimately excelled on SNL and “did such a good job.”

It’s no surprise that Gardner wanted to ensure Kelce had a good experience, considering he admitted to feeling “nervous” about his appearance on the show when it was first announced. Gardner also humorously remarked that she “loved him very much” before his relationship with Taylor Swift began.

Kelce revealed his longtime fandom for SNL during a conversation last May, sharing that he and his brother Jason Kelce grew up watching it “whenever we had a chance to sit down on Saturday nights.”

Reflecting on his SNL experience, Kelce said, “It was an experience that was like nothing else that I’ve ever gone through. I just can’t thank them enough for giving me that opportunity because I didn’t know I was going to enjoy scripted comedy or that entire entertainment world as much as I did until I was on a set and going through the week of preparation and stuff like that.”

Travis Kelce on ‘Saturday Night Live’.WILL HEATH/NBC VIA GETTY

The football player’s SNL appearance was also praised by SNL veteran Tim Meadows. “He hosted once, and he did a great job. He was really funny. I like him a lot. I think he’s really funny,” Meadows told PEOPLE in March.

Travis admitted on the latest episode of his ‘New Heights’ podcast he was a “huge fan” of the Hallmark brand, while noting that it was a “Kansas City-based company”

From Left: Travis Kelce; Scott Wolf and Lacey Chabert for Hallmark. PHOTO: STEVE GRANITZ/FILMMAGIC; STEFFAN HILL/HALLMARK MEDIA

Travis Kelce is a fan of Hallmark’s brand of feel-good films!

On the latest episode of the New Heights podcast he co-hosts with brother Jason Kelce, the Kansas City Chiefs player, 34, revealed that he has watched a few of the channel’s movies now and then.

The admission came after their guest, comedian and actor Andrew Santino, noted that his wife “loves Hallmark movies” when Travis brought up Lindsay Lohan’s latest film, Irish Wish. Santino then asked, “Are you a Hallmark guy, Trav?”

“I dabble now. Yeah,” the NFL tight end responded.

“Well, you like the cards, so you might as well like the movies,” Santino quipped in response.

Kelce then confessed he was a “huge fan,” pointing out that Hallmark is a “Kansas City-based company.” This led Santino to question him on whether he was certain about that.

“I mean, I’ve been there for freaking 11 years. I see it all the time,” he joked.

The football star is no stranger to the filmmaking world. It was previously announced that he’s an executive producer of My Dead Friend Zoe, a war dramedy directed by Kyle Hausmann-Stokes that premiered at the 2024 South by Southwest festival on March 9.

Last month, it was also announced that Kelce is reuniting up with My Dead Friend Zoe producers, Ray Maiello and Mike Field, to produce a new documentary about artist Jean-Michel Basquiat.

The late artist’s estate gave Kelce and co. the go-ahead to produce the project, as well as access to Basquiat’s archives, Deadline reported. Titled King Pleasure, the film will utilize “never-before-seen home movies, notebooks, photographs, animation and interviews” through the access from the artist’s estate.

The NFL star previously expressed his keen interest in pursuing more acting opportunities and exploring ventures in Hollywood after his football career. He credited his experience hosting Saturday Night Live as a pivotal moment that fueled his aspirations in the entertainment industry.

“It was an experience that was like nothing else that I’ve ever gone through. … I just can’t thank them enough for giving me that opportunity because I didn’t know I was going to enjoy scripted comedy, or that entire entertainment world as much as I did, until I was on a set and going through the week of preparation and stuff like that,” Travis shared.

In addition to his SNL hosting gig, Travis has also been confirmed as the host of Are You Smarter Than a Celebrity?, a spinoff of Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? that’s set to stream on Prime Video.

“So I’m definitely interested [in pursuing more acting projects], but that’s a whole new craft that I feel like I really got to lock in and focus on [before I do],” he added.