Keke Palmer Opens Up About ‘Chemistry’ With ‘Hot Ones’ Host Sean Evans

The star stopped by ‘The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon’ this week, where she discussed several of her recent viral moments.

Keke Palmer | odd Owyoung/NBC/Getty Images

Keke Palmer stopped by The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon on Tuesday, July 28, where she chatted about everything from her latest projects to her comedy alter-ego to her countless viral moments—and yes, included in the “viral moments” conversation was a question about her undeniable chemistry with the host of Hot Ones, Sean Evans.

For those out of the loop, Palmer and Evans have long been at the center of romance rumors due to their delightful chemistry on-screen, with speculation about a potential relationship budding between the two starting as far back as her first Hot Ones appearance in 2017. The gossip surrounding the stars peaked in 2023, when Evans outright admitted to crushing on the actor while chatting with fellow YouTube host Amelia Dimoldenberg on Chicken Shop Date.

But earlier this summer, they really kicked things into high gear when Palmer had Evans as a guest on her podcast, Baby, This is Keke Palmer, in May, where fans quickly noticed the flirty vibes between them. Shortly after, in June, TMZ reported that the two were also spotted out to dinner together at an Italian restaurant in New York City.

Later that month, Palmer spoke on the “Conversations That Channel Culture” panel in Cannes, where podcast host Jay Shetty asked her to clarify her status with Evans. Palmer stated, in part, “We hanging out, you know what I mean. You start off as colleagues, you never know what could arise from there, you know, so we’ll just take it day by day. One wing at a time, so to speak.” To read more about the romance rumors surrounding the stars, click here.

And this week, Palmer opened up once again about the state of their relationship when she stopped by the aforementioned late-night show. The chat eventually turned to the star’s many viral moments, with Fallon joking about how often her name shows up in headlines. From there, the host noted that she and Evans have regularly gone viral, adding that the two certainly have “a little chemistry.”

“It’s so funny because I feel like we knew that we had chemistry from the first Hot Ones. Like, you do interviews, and, you know, as a performer, you know you’re being present, but you don’t always get that energy back. And I think he feels the same. So when we were doing that first Hot Ones together, it was like bing-boom-bing-boom,” Palmer told the host, adding, “And now, everybody’s like, ‘Don't you see?!’” To watch Palmer’s full interview with Fallon on YouTube, click here.

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