The pair has sparked rumors of a romance since they filmed their first episode of “Hot Ones” in 2017.

Keke Palmer addresses Sean Evans romance speculation after NYC dinner date: ‘One wing at a time’

The pair has sparked rumors of a romance since they filmed their first episode of "Hot Ones" in 2017.

By Mekishana Pierre

Mekishana Pierre

Mekishana Pierre is a news writer at **. She has been working at EW since 2025. Her work has previously appeared on Entertainment Tonight and Popsugar.

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June 23, 2026 1:21 p.m. ET

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Keke Palmer; Sean Evans. Credit:

Dia Dipasupil/Getty; Craig Barritt/Getty

- Keke Palmer played coy while addressing speculation about a possible romance between her and *Hot Ones *host Sean Evans at Spotify's Conversations That Channel Culture panel at Cannes Lions on Tuesday.

- Palmer and Evans were spotted on what appeared to be a dinner date in New York City earlier this month, after he appeared on her podcast, *Baby, This Is Keke Palmer*.

- "We're hanging out," Palmer told fellow podcast host Jay Shetty. "We just take it day by day. One wing at a time so to speak,"

If you're in line to witness Keke Palmer and Sean Evans' romance of the ages, stay in line!

The duo recently sparked even more rumors about a romance when they were spotted on what appeared to be a dinner date earlier this month, but the *I Love Boosters* star is playing coy when it comes to sharing any details.

When the New York City dinner date with the *Hot Ones* host was brought up during a conversation with fellow podcast host Jay Shetty for Spotify's Conversations That Channel Culture panel at Cannes Lions on Tuesday, Palmer let out her signature laugh, asking Shetty, "Oh, we're talking about this?"

But Shetty was persistent, asking Palmer whether she is "serious about Sean Evans."

"First of all, I love Sean Evans. I love Sean. Hey, Sean! That's my guy," Palmer responded easily, drawing laughter from the crowd.

Shetty then pressed the *One of Them Days *actress about the viral photos that showed them having dinner in Brooklyn. "We're hanging out," Palmer confirmed, teasing they "never know what could arise."

She quipped, "We just take it day by day. One wing at a time so to speak."

Sean Evans and Keke Palmer on the 'Baby, This Is Keke Palmer' podcast.

Baby, This is Keke Palmer/YouTube

The internet has been abuzz about the chemistry between Palmer and Evans since 2017, when the former Nickeloden star made her *Hot Ones* debut by laughing uncontrollably through the pain of spicy wings. The popularity of her vist led to a reunion four years later, for a virtual episode that saw Palmer birth the meme, "This one has a little sweetness to it."

It was in 2023 that fan speculation about the chemistry came to a head when Evans admitted to having a crush on Palmer while chatting with internet personality Amelia Dimoldenberg for a crossover video. Th*e Chicken Shop Date* host — who knows a thing or two about having insane chemistry with a guest — tried to guess which *Hot Ones *alum Evans has had a crush on, only for him to admit that the answer is the one and only Keke Palmer.

"Very charming," he said of the actress. "Very charming woman."

Unsurprisingly, word of his crush quickly made its way back to Palmer, who commented on an Instagram clip, writing, "It was love at first hot wing — this was too kind."

Keke Palmer kisses 'Hot Ones' host Sean Evans after finding out about his crush

Keke Palmer mentions '2 Girls 1 Cup' in front of Lisa Kudrow and other comedy stars: 'Y'all remember that?'

Palmer fueled the flames further with another visit to *Hot Ones *last year, during which she took the opportunity to address Evans' crush on her.

"There's one more thing I'd like to say, Sean," Palmer began, with the show's credits already rolling. "I saw an interview where you said I was like your favorite guest, all this really sweet stuff… I know we just had some wings, but I thought that… Maybe we could just have a quick smooch to see if there's a spark."

Despite his blush, Evans was immediately game, replying, "Let's do it, let's do it."

Cue the music and slow motion, as Palmer and Evans departed the table to close the gap between them and share a kiss. The smooch ended in (digitally inserted) fireworks, with the two stars all smiles and giggles.

"The spark was sparking," Palmer declared, as the pair was applauded by the crew.

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In a rare role reversal, Evans appeared on the May 26 episode of Palmer's podcast,* Baby, This Is Keke Palmer*, where the duo discussed their nine years of back and forth.

At one point, Evans even told Palmer that she is "obviously very charismatic," adding, "you're smart, you're beautiful" while reflecting on why she was a perfect guest on his show. The duo even rewatched and reacted to the several clips encapsulating their undeniable chemistry in a video shared to social media, delighting in looking back on their near-decade's worth of viral clips.

Palmer admitted that she hadn't been sure if Evans "had as much fun" as she did while filming their first episode until he told Dimoldenberg about his crush. "I thought to myself like, 'Yeah, this is just how he is at the job,' because you always were so professional and everything," she told Evans. "But I was feeling like, 'Man, this is so much fun.'"****However, Evans emphasized that they were on the "same wavelength" and that he was "feeling the same exact thing."****"I was gagged when you said that," Palmer quipped. "I was like, 'Oh, so it was special.'"

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