Keke Palmer Talks About Hot Ones Host Sean Evans’ Crush on Her

Palmer said about her interviews with Evans, “I knew the vibes were vibing.”

Keke Palmer knew the wings weren’t the only things getting hot while chatting with Sean Evans.

The Nope actress, 30, had two interviews with the Hot Ones host, 38, in 2017 and 2021, and in November 2023, Evans revealed that he had developed a crush on Palmer during that time.

Palmer mentioned that when she found out about the professed “crush” on her last year, she had a feeling something was going on, as the chemistry between the two during the interviews was quite enjoyable.

“I was living for it,” Palmer told PEOPLE on Aug. 13, recalling the time the two spent together while filming her iconic episodes.

“Not to say that I was surprised or I wasn’t surprised,” she added. “But when I heard it and people were sending it to me, I was like, ‘I knew the vibes were vibing.’”

The First We Feast interviewer first shared that he was crushing on Palmer while appearing on another chicken-themed celebrity interview show, Amelia Dimoldenberg’s Chicken Shop Date.

Dimoldenberg asked Evans if he had “ever had a crush on a guest.” After admitting that he had—and making the Chicken Shop host guess their identity—he revealed that it was Palmer.

“Very charming,” he said of the actress. “Very charming woman.”

At the time, Palmer reacted to a clip of the Chicken Shop admission on Instagram, joking, “It was love at first hot wing 🤪— this was too kind @seanseaevans 🫶🏾.”

Evans, the host who has made a name for himself by eating spicy wings and interviewing a diverse range of entertainment giants, has been the driving force behind Hot Ones since its premiere in 2015.

Although it is unclear where his current dating life stands, Evans previously made headlines when it was reported that he was “without a doubt” dating adult film star Melissa Stratton. However, in less than 48 hours, it was reported that Evans and Stratton had called it quits.

TMZ reported that a source close to Stratton revealed that Evans was the one who ended things, citing his desire to keep his “love life more under wraps.”

Stratton addressed the rumors on X by retweeting TMZ‘s post and adding the caption: “Don’t try to date a [corn emoji] [star emoji] if you actually hate [corn emoji].”

She later posted an Instagram video of herself in a car with another man, captioned: “It’s ok I’ve got a better bald man to get spicy with @mosttalentedbaldman.”