Superfan Creator and Host Keltie Knight Talks the Show’s Success

Keltie Knight is a long-time entertainment correspondent on The Insider and Entertainment Tonight. Now, she’s using her relationships with celebrities and creating and hosting a new show, Superfan.

Superfan is a musical game show where avid fans compete in multiple rounds to show their musical artist’s number one fan. Each episode features a different musical artist with a different prize.

TV Fanatic interviewed Keltie about the show’s format, the one-of-a-kind prizes, and why this series is so appealing. Check it out below:

Hi Keltie. I know you’ve been working on Superfan for years. Why was this show so important to you, and why do you think now was the ideal time to air it?

I have always loved music. Like everybody else, since I was a kid, I wanted more music on TV. I’m a child of the ’80s and grew up in the ’90s in the heyday of MTV. I wanted to see artists on television performing for their fans, loving on them.

I’m so excited that it’s airing, and people love it. The stars had such a good time, and it’s been incredible.

How do you think your experience as an entertainment correspondent prepared you to co-host the show?

After spending a decade interviewing the biggest celebrities in the world, I felt like I was at home with these celebrities. It was about getting them to open up in ways they haven’t ever before in front of their fans.

I felt very ready. I felt prepared for the sparkly dresses, glam, and fun of being on the big stage. Everything I’ve done in my career has led to this moment.

Speaking of that, how did you select Nate Burleson to be your co-host?

Nate’s a big part of the family, and he hosts CBS Mornings with Gayle King and Tony. When the network approached us and talked about Nate, we met and realized that we’d grown up three hours away from each other in Canada.

His love of music shone through, so I was excited to have him. We had a great time.

You guys always look like you’re having fun on the show.

We definitely are. I was cringing this past week with Gloria Estefan, and everyone was like there’s Keltie.

I was having the time of my life but wasn’t even thinking about work.

So, for those who have yet to see the show, what is the format of Superfan?

Great question. Superfan is a one-hour music special. We search the country for the biggest superfans of one celebrity in each episode, and those fans compete in different games and trivia to prove that they’re the number one superfan.

At the show’s end, America votes online, and the number one superfan wins like a one-of-a-kind prize the artist has specially curated just for them. The prizes are insane, and the fans are lovely, and it’s so heartfelt. It’s a great format.

I see. So far, LL Cool J, Shania Twain, and Gloria Estefan have appeared, and I know Little Big Town is next week, followed by Pitbull and Kelsea Ballerini. How does each of their prize packages differ?

Every single star made their prize specifically for their fan base. We just had Gloria on, and her prize package included coming to her house in Miami and having dinner with her.

Kelsea Ballerini has such a beautiful connection with her fans, so her prize featured picking a song, coming on stage with her at a concert, and singing that song for the audience. So, every single prize package is different and catered to that unique fan base.

What is Little Big Town’s prize since I know they’re next and there are many big country fans?

We have many country fans. Karen gave the outfit she wore in the Pontoon music video, including the hat, sunglasses, and everything else.

Then Phillip, who plays in Little Big Town, did a coffee table book last year. They’re giving away a signed version of the coffee table book, concert tickets, and VIP tickets, including a meet and greet.

That is fascinating. I am going to make sure I tune in for that one. I am a huge country fan.

We’re finishing with two country megastars, so that will be cool.

How did you choose the talent for this show, and how did you get them to appear?

We wanted a diverse lineup of artists from every genre on the planet. We made a list. CBS is the home of the Grammys, so it was an easy phone call to announce we were doing more music.

Every single star was different, whether I zoomed with them, called them, or talked to their teams. But everyone who agreed to come on the show was blown away by how meaningful it was for them and how close and heartfelt the fan stories were.

Does being paired with Big Brother help your ratings?

That’s a really tough question. We couldn’t ask for a better lead-in than Big Brother. I’ve known Julie Chen for a long time, and she’s a good friend. We’re seeing that many people love to stream television, and so many people are streaming Superfan on Paramount+, which has been excellent.

We’re doing well in the demo. It’s a brand-new show, and we have work to do to get it up to Big Brother standards, but we’re committed to working hard, and I think the show is fantastic.

Do you have plans for Season 2?

I have plans for season two. I want Rihanna. I like the Jonas Brothers. I like the Backstreet Boys. I want Beyonce. I like Taylor Swift. But I wonder if the network necessarily does yet. So, I will keep you posted.

That sounds so fun. I mean, those are some big names.

No kidding. I’m ready. Let’s go.

Why should viewers tune in to Superfan if they haven’t already?

Superfan is one of those shows that will surprise and delight you if you give it a chance. The world is really hard right now.

We’re going we’re going into an election season. We’ve just had all these horrible wildfires in California.

We just had a hurricane. I mean, there’s just a lot of unnerving stuff happening in the world. 

Superfan is just really good, family-friendly, feel-good television. It gives you hope in humanity. Hearing these fans’ stories and getting to know a little part of regular America is special. And the feedback has been incredible.

Superfan airs Wednesdays at 9 p.m. on CBS.

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Laura Nowak is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow her on Twitter.

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