Jelly Roll’s transition from humble singer to global superstar has been incredible to witness, and the performer is soaring to new heights after he announced an exciting new career move on social media.
Jelly, whose real name is Jason Bradley DeFord, took to Instagram to share the news that he will be hosting Jimmy Kimmel Live! on July 16 and 17 and filling in for Jimmy Kimmel, who is currently on leave from the late-night show.
See his reaction to the incredible news below…
New heights
The “Wild Ones” singer shared a video from the soundstage as he prepared to host the show, and expressed his excitement at how far he had come in a few short years.
“Oh, what a beautiful day it is, everybody,” he began with a wide grin. “The first time a late-night TV show offered me to do a skit, I did it right here at Jimmy Kimmel Live. The first time I got to talk on a couch on late-night TV, I got to do it right here at Jimmy Kimmel Live, and tonight…I am Jimmy Kimmel.”
“That’s right, they blew it, y’all,” he quipped. “They let the big white trash in to take over.”
© WireImageThe country star will welcome actor Jeremy Renner and wrestler Randy Orton onto the show, as well as musical guest Joey Bada$$. On Thursday, he will then host actor Kevin James and musical guests The All-American Rejects.
His fans couldn’t have been happier for the major move, taking to the comment section to share in his joy. “Jelly is so honest and pure!! Love!!!!” wrote one, while another added, “LET’S GOOOOOO I can’t wait to see this.”
“Watching you win every day is the coolest [expletive] ever,” shared another, while a fourth commented, “So wild. Congrats man!”
Making a change
© Getty ImagesSeveral fans also commented on his incredible weight loss amid the Grammy nominee’s health journey, which has seen him lose 200 lbs. “I hiked a mountain the other day. Camelback,” he told E! News, before opening up about his weight loss.
“There is no way that would have been possible beforehand, so it’s great to see that progress, and we still are going,” Jelly continued.
“It isn’t always the case where I feel focused or positive. The things that motivate me and keep me going are the people I have met along the way – across the juveniles and rehab centers or prisons along the way.”
“The people that come up to me and bravely share their sobriety date, or a story of something that they’ve dealt with, or someone they’ve lost,” he said.
Spreading the word
© WWE via Getty ImagesJelly has been incredibly open about his desire to lose weight and wants to encourage others to help themselves in the process. “I did this publicly for a reason,” he explained on his wife Bunnie XO’s podcast Dumb Blonde. “I wanna be honest about my struggles with it with people.”
“I think that people that become as big as I became, when they lose the weight, they’re kind of ashamed,” he reflected. The father of two previously revealed that he weighed over 500 lbs at his heaviest.
“They’re so ashamed that they go hide and lose the weight, and then they come back out [and] they don’t really know how to interact with the world looking different or feeling different. They kinda gotta find their whole new way.”
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