Rob McElhenney and his wife, Kaitlin Olson, celebrated the success of his show Welcome to Wrexham at the 2023 Primetime Emmy Awards on Monday, January 15.
McElhenney, 46, looked dapper in a tuxedo while his wife rocked a black-and-white gown. The top of Olson’s dress was a see-through corset paired with a white skirt, and she dazzled in Nicole Rose Jewelry. Her long blonde hair was in waves as she posed alongside her husband.
McElhenney who is presenting at the awards show, and Olson, 48, have been married since September 2008 and are parents to sons Axel, 13, and Leo, 11.
Earlier this month, Welcome to Wrexham — the FX docuseries that follows McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds on their journey as co-owners of the Welsh football club Wrexham A.F.C. — won five categories at the 2023 Creative Arts Emmy Awards: Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program, Outstanding Picture Editing for an Unstructured Reality Program, Outstanding Directing for a Reality Program, Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Reality Program (Single or Multi-Camera) and Outstanding Cinematography for a Reality Program.
Although McElhenney and Reynolds, 47, did not attend the ceremony, they filmed an acceptance speech, which they shared via Instagram. “Wow, an Emmy, what an incredible honor,” McElhenney began. “There are so many people to thank, I have been waiting for this moment for 16 years, so I’ve got a lot to say.”
Reynolds, who was dressed as Deadpool in the video, then interrupted McElhenney. “Wow, Mr. Lively couldn’t be here to accept this broken Emmy, so he sent me on his behalf. First and foremost, Wrexham, we love you. Thank you for letting Rob and the other guy tell your story. Cymru am byth [Wales forever], bitches,” he said. “I’d also like to thank The Academy for this honor and for not asking us to attend the televised awards show with the real celebrities.”
As McElhenney’s popularity continues to rise due to his involvement with Wrexham, he and Olson made headlines in November 2023 when they ignited a bidding war over a Philadelphia Eagles jacket signed by Kylie Kelce. Olson ultimately won the item for $100,000, which was donated to the Eagles Autism Foundation.
While McElhenney initially tried to get the jacket for himself, he was repeatedly outbid by Olson, without knowing she was the one competing against him.
“I got a text from somebody that I know who said, ‘I’ve been the one bidding against you, bozo,’” he explained during a November 2023 appearance on Jason and Travis Kelce’s “New Heights” podcast. “It did not even cross my mind that this was a possibility. And it turned out that I live with this person.”
Olson emphasized that she had no plans to share the piece with McElhenney. “I win, basically,” she said. “I win. … He will not be wearing the jacket, ever.”
As for Kylie’s reaction to the frenzy over the jacket, she gushed on the podcast in December 2023 that it was “so amazing” to have McElhenney and Olson’s support. “It’s mind-boggling. I can’t thank them enough for being that generous,” she added. “It’s pretty absurd.”
