Jason Kelce endured a tough start to life as a late-night talk show host after many NFL fans pilloried his ESPN debut on Friday night.

The first episode of ‘They Call It Late Night with Jason Kelce’ aired at 1am ET on ESPN and featured cameos from his wife, Kylie, parents Ed and Donna and even Jimmy Kimmel.

The show did not go down well with swathes of supporters on social media, who branded it ‘awful’, a ‘disgrace’, ‘cringe’ and ‘painfully unfunny’. 

Some did leap to Kelce’s defense, though, calling it ‘a great product’ and ‘funny as hell’.

There was no sign of younger brother Travis, with whom Jason co-hosts award-winning podcast New Heights. 

Instead there was a Philadelphia flavor to the show as Kelce welcomed NBA legend Charles Barkley, former Eagles star Brian Baldinger and Philly rapper and comedian Lil Dicky. 

Former NFL star Jason Kelce endured a tough start to life as a late-night talk show host

The first episode of ‘They Call It Late Night with Jason Kelce’ aired on ESPN on Friday night

They Call It Late Night with Jason Kelce premieres on ESPN 🔥 @latenightwithjk | @JasonKelce pic.twitter.com/OaDvYUUtkE

— ESPN (@espn) January 4, 2025

The show featured plenty of bad language and ended with Kelce chugging beers with fans. 

The panel also discussed the big talking points in the NFL, including the Eagles’ decision to rest Saquon Barkley. 

But the show came in for plenty of criticism. ‘That Jason Kelce show is the worst thing I’ve watched on television since ever,’ one fan wrote on X. 

‘This should be the first and last episode of this Jason Kelce talk show,’ another said. 

One fan took aim at ESPN for ‘trying to market Jason Kelce as a comedian’, calling it ‘extremely sad’.

‘This Jason Kelce show is awful. A total disgrace,’ another said. ‘The Jason Kelce show so far is horrible. What the f*** is this,’ said a fourth.

But some supporters enjoyed the show, which began with the former center dressed in a Mummers Parade costume, driving around the streets of Philadelphia and even ‘speaking’ to Lincoln Financial Field, the home of the Eagles.

‘If you’re not watching Jason Kelce’s new ESPN late night show right now, then you’re missing out!’ one fan wrote.

The show featured cameos from Kelce’s wife, Kylie, and his parents Ed and Donna (above)

Kylie Kelce is an announcer for “They Call it Late Night with Jason Kelce” ❤️ @latenightwithjk | @JasonKelce pic.twitter.com/QnibuiP3eL

— espnW (@espnW) January 4, 2025 Read MoreBREAKING NEWS Chiefs give huge Travis Kelce update ahead of Week 18 showdown in Denver against the Broncos

‘The first ten minutes were kinda painful to watch (although it had a few funny moments), but I’m starting to like it now that they’re actually talking football,’ another said.

A third called it ‘funny as hell’, while a fourth added: ‘The opening 15 minutes of Jason Kelce’s late night show was awkward. It was scripted, felt very forced, and was not very funny. But, when it’s raw Kelce talking football, it is a great product.

Jason was introduced by his wife, the show’s announcer who sits in ‘Kylie’s Korner’, and his first words were: ‘Holy s***… how did we get here?’

The couple then joked about swearing in front of their children with a foul-mouthed conversation that ended with them telling each other: ‘I f***ing love you!’