The Tortured Poets Department might have just enlisted its newest member, and Taylor Swift has immortalized his surprise performance on her Instagram grid.
And, she says, she’s still cracking up about Travis Kelce’s showmanship during his cameo onstage at her show at London’s Wembley Stadium on Sunday.
For the first time, during her blockbuster Eras tour, the pop superstar invited a boyfriend onstage. And the NFL star fully committed to the song-and-dance number — complete with a tuxedo, tails and a top hat — that had his girlfriend and countless Swifties “swooning.” (So long, Joe Alwyn. Hello, Mr. Monopoly.)
“Wembley Stadium round one was so surreal. Looking out into crowds of 90,000 fans each night and hearing that VOLUME… Those were some of the loudest crowds I’ve ever heard. Acoustic sections went OFF,” the “Anti-Hero” and “Karma” singer wrote Monday, reflecting on the performance, as she is wont to do.
But it was Kelce who stole the show and the hearts of Swifties all over again thanks to his silent movie-inspired number during “I Can Do It With a Broken Heart.” The three-time Super Bowl champ joined Swift during her outfit change for “I Can Do It With a Broken Heart,” surprising many folks, because he’d been hanging around in the VIP tent until that point.
“I’m still cracking up/swooning over @killatrav’s Eras Tour debut Never going to forget these shows. Can’t wait to do it 5 more times in August. Up next: Dublin!!,” she wrote, sharing photos and video from Kelce’s time onstage.
The Kansas City Chiefs tight end stepped in for the dancer who usually carries Swift onstage during the segment, according to People, and helped get her into top form to resume her performance — including dabbing a little makeup on her (and himself) for some extra laughs. The moment was met with the same fan delight that spread when the November footage of Swift running into Kelce’s arms offstage in Argentina and kissing him went viral.
Kelce made his debut on Swift’s Instagram grid on Friday when she posted a selfie with him alongside Britain’s Prince William, his son Prince George and daughter Princess Charlotte.
“Happy Bday M8! London shows are off to a splendid start,” she captioned the post, celebrating her “mate” William’s 42nd birthday and kicking off her three-night stint at Wembley.
William’s account posted the shot from another angle, thanking the singer-songwriter for “a great evening,” and footage of the heir-apparent dancing to “Shake it Off” went viral on TikTok. Kensington Palace said the photo was taken before the Friday show and that William’s wife Catherine, who is undergoing cancer treatment, stayed home with the couple’s youngest son, Prince Louis. (Oscar-nominated actor Salma Hayek, “Bridgerton” actor Nicola Coughlan, designer Stella McCartney and “Queer Eye” star Jonathan Van Ness were also in attendance.)
While photos and videos of Swift and Kelce have become ubiquitous since they were publicly linked in September, the 14-time Grammy winner hasn’t showcased her relationship with the athlete much on social media until this weekend. However, she notably posted her first TikTok featuring her boyfriend “accidentally going clubbing” with their parents in Las Vegas in February, the day after his team’s Super Bowl victory over the San Francisco 49ers. Then, upon the release of “The Tortured Poets Department” album in April, Kelce made a cameo on her Instagram reels for her “Fortnight” recap challenge.
Swift is slated to return to Wembley for five shows in August. After that, the billion-dollar tour heads back to the U.S. in October before wrapping with a three-night stint in Toronto in early December.
Times fellow Angie Orellana Hernandez and intern Eva Hartman contributed to this report.
