Claim to Fame season 3 contestants Mackenzie Adkins and Hud Mellencamp formed a tight bond on the ABC reality series, and now their respective dads, Trace Adkins and John Mellencamp, are getting acquainted.
While chatting with Us Weekly exclusively ahead of the Wednesday, August 28, season finale, Mackenzie shared that both Trace, 62, and John, 72, were planning to attend a cast viewing party for the final Claim to Fame episode.
“Both of our dads, to [this day], think that we won [the competition],” said Mackenzie. “So, they’re both gonna get a bit of a shock [when they see Adam Christopherson win], and they’ll be there watching with us tonight.”
Mackenzie, Hud and their fathers will be joined by Claim to Fame contestants Jill Kurlfink, Gracie Lou Hyland, Naomi Burns, Shane Brando and Nael “Danny” Zayas for the viewing party, Mackenzie shared.
“We’re really excited,” she said. “It’ll be really fun.”
Hud chimed in to say that he’s pleasantly surprised by how well the cast gets along in real life.
“One thing I thought throughout the [experience] is ‘None of us could be friends after [this]. Y’all are gonna see me talk crap about you in the background throughout this entire thing once we watch this show, and no one’s gonna answer my text,’” he joked. “But we all hang out, we all talk all the time, and I’m very grateful for that.”
Mackenzie and Hud started to seem like more than friends on the show as they grew closer and began flirting. While they played coy about their relationship status during their joint interview, the duo hinted that they’ve been spending time together.
“He’s here right now, so I think that’s our answer,” Mackenzie said with a smile.
The Claim to Fame finale party marks Mackenzie’s first time meeting Hud’s dad, although Hud has already gotten a chance to meet Trace. It will also be Trace and John’s first official meeting, despite crossing paths musically in the past.
“I did a Farm Aid or two, but I don’t remember ever actually meeting [John],” Trace exclusively told Us in a joint interview with Mackenzie, referencing the annual benefit concert that John cofounded.
The country star has reality television experience of his own — he competed on The Celebrity Apprentice in 2013 — and gave Mackenzie some advice before her stint on Claim to Fame.
“I just told her, try to fly under the radar for a while and then destroy everybody,” he quipped. “But just remember that microphone is on all the time and they’re recording everything you say, so be careful.”
Although Trace was unfamiliar with Claim to Fame before Mackenzie joined the cast, he thoroughly enjoyed watching season 3.
“[It’s] really clever, it’s entertaining,” he said. ‘It’s a puzzle and you get to play along.”
Trace even has favorite players aside from Mackenzie, and one player he’s not so fond of.
“I like Hud and Shane, I think they’ve played the game very well. I think Adam is just still around by default somehow,” he said. “I don’t really understand that.”
The “Ladies Love Country Boys” musician noted that he felt “totally confident” that Mackenzie would do well on the show.
“Mackenzie’s very smart, and I knew she would handle herself professionally and she did,” Trace said. “She’s always been very pleasant to be around, she always has a smile on her face and it’s just contagious. She’s just a sweet girl and she’s been successful in everything that she’s done. She’s never done anything to disappoint me, and she’s the only one of my kids I can say that about.”
Mackenzie and Hud became the Claim to Fame season 3 runners-up after Adam won the final challenge and correctly identified both of their celebrity relatives. He was then revealed to be Michael Bolton’s nephew.
Claim to Fame is now streaming on Hulu
