Elle King reveals surprising emotional impact of 'Nation’s Dumbest'

Elle King is looking back on her experience on Nation’s Dumbest as more than just a TV competition, revealing that the unconventional game show helped her heal from long-standing insecurities tied to her childhood and education.

The 37-year-old singer, best known for her hit Ex’s & Oh’s, joined 11 other celebrity contestants on FOX’s new series, where stars competed in intelligence-based challenges to avoid being crowned the show's "dumbest" contestant.

Instead, King emerged as the first celebrity to graduate after defeating former presidential candidate Andrew Yang in the premiere episode.

Speaking to People about the experience, King admitted the competition unexpectedly stirred memories from her school years.

"A lot of the show really surprised me," she said, explaining that stepping into the competition made her feel like "a new kid" all over again.

While revisiting those emotions pushed her outside her comfort zone, she said the process ultimately became therapeutic.

"It definitely pushed me outside of my comfort zone. I was like, 'Why did I sign up for going back to school?' But it also healed something in me," she shared.

King has previously spoken about struggling in school, revealing she has severe ADHD, was diagnosed with Tourette syndrome and even repeated kindergarten.

Those experiences left her questioning her own abilities, making her victory on the show especially meaningful.

Reflecting on becoming the first contestant to graduate, King said her younger self "would definitely be proud."

Despite joking that the title Nation’s Dumbest was hardly the most appealing invitation, the singer said her competitive nature drew her to the project.

She also enjoyed tackling logic puzzles and mental challenges, adding that she simply wanted to have fun while continuing to push herself.

Hosted by comedian Jack Whitehall, Nation’s Dumbest features celebrities including Ice-T, Carmen Electra, Steve-O, JoJo Siwa, Jon Heder, Hilaria Baldwin and Dr. Drew Pinsky competing in a series of tests designed to challenge their intelligence.