AMP in the post
We all know Frankie Jonas, the little brother to Joe, Kevin, and Nick Jonas, the one who most refer to as the “Bonus Jonas” simply because he’s not among his brothers’ musical band “Jonas Brothers” well, Frankie is doing very well for himself right now, in fact, Frankie revealed that ABC called him to co-host their new series “Claim To Fame” with one of his older brothers Kevin.
The show will see 12 celebrity relatives each attempting to conceal their identity for a chance to win $100,000. Frankie said that when he got the call he had one question: “Are you sure I’m not supposed to be a contestant?” After all, the Tik-Tok star, 21, knows a thing or two about being a celebrity relative: he grew up with Kevin, 34, and brothers Joe, 32, and Nick, 29, of Jonas Brothers fame. But it was exactly that unique perspective that the network thought made Frankie perfect for the hosting gig.
Speaking Exclusively with PEOPLE, Frankie said, “I think I was able to really bridge this gap between Kevin and the contestants, they felt comfortable with me as a friend, where Kevin was more the host. For the contestants, I think it was really nice for them to have a voice on both sides.”
Kevin added, “Frankie was able to really speak to the contestants and the players from his heart because he lived that life for a long time, being related to a group of guys in a band.”
Kevin & Frankie Jonas — Speaking About Claim To Fame Show
AMP in the post
The new ABC series “Claim to Fame” according to PEOPLE was filmed for six weeks. During that six weeks, the contestants were made to live together under one roof as they competed in challenges, hoping to keep their identities secret to avoid elimination.
According to Frankie, The show has to do mostly with Identity discretion, deceit, and a lot, he said it’s so full of surprises that you could never have guessed or predicted what was happening even as a host. “Claim to Fame has so many facets,” Frankie says. “So much of it is about identity. So much of it is about this beautiful game that incorporates lies and deceit and amazing challenges. Kevin and I, the whole time we were filming, were shocked every single episode and so enthralled by everything that was happening. I think throughout this series there was only one time I said, ‘I knew it!'”
Just like the contestants, Kevin and Frankie were kept in the dark on everyone’s identities, so they also got to play along.
“We were playing along just as much as the contestants,” Kevin says. “So everything was surprising for us. At first, we were like, ‘You got to tell us! We’re not going to be able to do our jobs if you don’t.’ Then, we were like, ‘You know what? It’s going to be fun.’ We were able to ask naïve questions to them in interview time and see how much we could pull out of them.”
The brothers revealed that as the contestants got closer, it got harder and harder for each person not to reveal anything too personal about themselves. “The psychological side of it was real, because they’re all people who can identify with each other,” Kevin says. “So they have a kindred spirit, in a sense. As you build friendships and you get closer, it’s really hard to remember that you’re in a game and you’re trying to win. It’s really interesting.”
AMP in the post
Folks, at this point you can agree with me that this show is worth seeing.
Kevin & Frankie Jonas — If They Were To Be On The Show
If Kevin were to go on the show, he says, “I think I’d probably have to go full prosthetic, bring in the Hollywood makeup team and just become a different person.”
Frankie, meanwhile, says he’d “probably have to do an accent, like a Southern drawl.” Plus, Frankie would’ve had a tough time concealing his identity as a contestant, considering that he has a following of nearly two million of his own on TikTok. He also grew up making appearances on his brothers’ Disney Channel projects like Jonas and Camp Rock 2.
“I think that I would just end up telling everyone,” he says. “I talk so much, so I would end up talking myself into a circle and telling everyone my secrets the moment I got there.”
Luckily, Frankie didn’t have to worry about gameplay, but he does admit he was “terrified” to start filming as a host. “This really was a first-time experience,” he says. “Walking onto set, I was holding onto Kevin for dear life.”
While filming with Kevin, though, Frankie says his “own confidence” slowly started to shine.
With the show being in the time slot after the new season of the Bachelorette, the brothers couldn’t be happier.
Claim to Fame premieres July 11 at 10 p.m. EST on ABC.
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