Mina Kimes Is The New Host Of The Scripps National Spelling Bee

The 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee is coming up and ESPN's Mina Kimes has been given the honor of serving as host.

The announcement came on Tuesday that Kimes will serve as host of the semifinals and finals from May 27-28. Kimes, a former spelling bee champion in her own right, took to X this morning to reflect on the opportunity, calling it an honor.

"Wish I could travel back in time and tell my 2nd grade self I'd be doing this! Such an honor to be part of this year's National Spelling Bee," Kimes wrote.

Cheers for Kimes

Fans and colleagues of Kimes took to X to congratulate her on the honor. Some called it a nice full-circle moment for her career given her spelling stardom while others believe it might reverse the negative ratings trend the event has seen.

"Congrats to ESPN's @minakimes . A three-time school spelling bee champion growing up, Mina is the new host of the @ScrippsBee national competition later this month in Washington, DC," ESPN's Bill Hofheimer wrote on X.

"Nice full-circle moment-Mina Kimes going from spelling bee champ to hosting the biggest one. Should bring great energy to the Scripps National Spelling Bee stage!" another user wrote.

"Perfect fit. She's not just hosting she's a 3x champ herself," a third wrote.

"This is actually one of those rare moments where media gets it exactly right."

"The Scripps Bee got Mina Kimes??? W move. May 27-28 on ION. Three-time school champ hosting feels right."

For years the Scripps National Spelling Bee was broadcast on ESPN, but in recent years it has moved to ION and Bounce.

Speaking to the Associated Press for an interview prior to the announcement, Kimes pledged to give the event a "big-game feel."

"My goal in this is to give it the big-game feel," Kimes said. "Any event that requires skill and knowledge and preparation can have that feel if it's presented with enough care and pride on television."

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This story was originally published May 5, 2026 at 8:38 AM.