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Taylor Swift knows better than anyone how much we all enjoy a good Love Story, and it looks like Australian fans could be in for a version of that with a potential rendezvous between the pop star and NFL boyfriend Travis Kelce.
Last week, Kelce secured his third Super Bowl ring and the minute the game finished talk turned to whether the Kansas City tight end would join Swift on the Australian leg of her Eras Tour. Kelce hinted at travel plans on his podcast New Heights, saying he would “venture to an island real soon”, fuelling speculation he was heading to Australia.
Swift arrived in Sydney on Monday, fresh from completing her record-breaking three-concert tour in Melbourne, but on Tuesday morning the jet she is using was spotted taking off for Honolulu, where it is due to arrive about 9.20pm (local time) on Tuesday.
Taylor Swift walks with Ed Kelce after watching the Kansas City Chiefs defeat the Baltimore Ravens in January.Credit: AP Photo
Swift and Kelce were both unavailable to comment, so instead, we went to the next best thing: Travis Kelce’s dad, Ed.
“Well, look, we spoke after the Super Bowl, and I asked him, are you going to take off for Sydney, and he seemed keen,” explained Ed. “He said he’d really like to see Sydney and Singapore, but he wasn’t sure because he has commitments. He is at a celebrity charity golf outing today, which, I think, is in Las Vegas.”
Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce celebrates with Taylor Swift after his team won the Super Bowl.Credit: Getty
As the father of two famous footballers (Travis’s brother Jason is a centre for the Philadelphia Eagles), Ed is no stranger to the spotlight. But things have reached a new level since Travis and Taylor started dating.
“She’s probably the most famous person in the world, but she doesn’t seem like it, she’s so warm and so gracious,” explains Ed.
While their first meeting was a little bumpy – “I was at Travis’ house, and I didn’t recognise her, my girlfriend was not impressed with me!” – Ed and the Swift clan have since grown close, with Ed watching the Super Bowl alongside Taylor’s dad, Scott.
“Scott played college football, so he was right into it; I think he likes that his daughter is dating a football player and not a musician,” laughed Ed.
Swift’s relationship with Kelce has become one of the most talked about cultural storylines of the last twelve months, and her attendance at his games has helped boost NFL ratings.
In some corners, her star power has been painted as a distraction, but Ed believes Swift’s presence is wholly positive.
“She loves football so much, and she sets a good example during games. I was so shocked that during the Super Bowl, my buddies and I left some rubbish near us, and when Taylor got up, she stopped and picked it all up and put it in the trash,” says Ed.
Taylor Swift watches from a suite alongside Travis Kelce’s mother, Donna Kelce, at the Chiefs’ Arrowhead Stadium.Credit: AP
“I thought that spoke volumes. This is someone with celebrity power like no other, but she comes from a good family and spent time with her mother and her brother; they’re good folk.”
Like any self-respecting father, Ed Kelce only wants the best for his son, and as soon as things got serious between Travis and Taylor, he set about doing his research.
“I went on to her Instagram, and she had some great videos up there, then she did the Commencement speech at New York University, so I watched that on YouTube,” admits Ed.
“Straight away, I could tell she was smart and humble. Obviously, her music is great too.”
When pushed, Kelce is quick to share his favourite song (“You Belong With Me, the video was cute”) but admits he has yet to see her perform live and didn’t have it in him to finish the Eras concert tour film.
“I almost went to see the movie, but that thing was like three hours long; that’s a little much for me,” laughs Ed.
While fans will be hoping that Travis Kelce joins Swift in Sydney as an extra special guest, Ed is more concerned about what comes next for the high-profile pair. Between Swift’s tour commitments and Travis’s playing schedule, Ed admits he has spent time thinking about how they’ll make it work.
“I won’t pretend that I don’t worry about it, he is my son, and I worry about him because they will have some challenges in their relationship for sure,” says Ed. “But they seem a good fit, and ultimately, they just need to find their way together.”
Find more of the author’s work here. Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Instagram at @thomasalexandermitchell and on Twitter @_thmitchell.
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