Keke Palmer is everywhere. The actor-slash-singer-slash-podcast-host also serves as host on NBC’s reboot of the beloved game show Password, which means we get even more looks from the always-fashionable and trendsetting star.
For the June 16 show, Palmer went for a high ponytail that was so bouncy and perky, it reminded us of a few different—and equally iconic—TV characters: namely Pebbles from The Flintstones, who wore her red hair in a similar top-of-the-head ponytail; Fran Fine from The Nanny, who loved a voluminous hairstyle (and a leopard print suit); and Daphne from Scooby-Doo, as one of Palmer’s Instagram followers so helpfully pointed out. Her bright copper red hair was gathered into a ponytail at the crown of her head and cinched there, with a large portion of hair wrapped around the base to disguise any hair bands but also serve as an anchor of sorts for the descending lengths, which were parted on either side and flipped out at the ends. The skyscraper ponytail was so high, it added several inches to Palmer’s silhouette—and, of course, looked great on camera as she moved about the Password stage. Long bangs, which brushed the tops of her oversized black glasses, added more bounce and fun to the overall hairstyle.
If you looked up “perky ponytail” in the beauty dictionary—should such a thing exist!—you’d find the below pic of Palmer for sure. On the flip side, if you were playing the game of Password and your mystery word was “ponytail,” you could give clues like “Pebbles,” “perky,” or “cheerleader” (or maybe even noted ponytail fan “Ariana Grande”) to help your teammate guess.
David Holloway/NBC
The sunny season is really just heating up, but Palmer has been turning out look after look in anticipation of summer, this perky ponytail included. We’re still thinking about her pink-and-orange-spiked pixie from the 2026 Billboard Music Awards, where she served as host and musical performer, and her curly, bedazzled space buns took us back to the mid-’90s with just one glance. And if we know anything about Keke Palmer, it’s that she’s got way, way more fun up her sleeve, so consider us officially tuned in.
