Taylor Swift is ‘in the best possible place’ after ‘triumphant year’ which included her summer engagement to NFL superstar Travis Kelce and new album The Life Of A Showgirl
After what’s been one of her most triumphant years ever, Taylor Swift is gearing up for a cracking Christmas. With her summer engagement to NFL superstar Travis Kelce and an early Christmas gift to fans in the shape of a new album, it’s been another remarkable 12 months for the pop icon.
“As we come to the end of 2025, Taylor seems to be in the best possible place,” says PR expert Lynn Carratt. “After riding the wave of her Eras Tour and releasing The Life Of A Showgirl, settling down with Travis is definitely the icing on the cake.” As if that wasn’t enough, this week, on 12 December – the day before her 36th birthday – a brand new docuseries celebrating the star, titled The End Of An Era, will be shown on Disney+.
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The six-parter, set to be released weekly in two-episode instalments, promises to give “an intimate look at Taylor’s life” and follows the singer as she takes her phenomenal Eras Tour around the globe. Huge names from the world of music, including Gracie Abrams, Sabrina Carpenter, Ed Sheeran and Florence Welch all feature, along with her band, dancers, family members and, of course, fiancé Travis.
In August, Taylor and the Kansas City Chiefs ace caused a social media meltdown after announcing their surprise engagement. “The reaction was just incredible,” says Lynn. “They knew by putting it on Instagram it would blow up, and it’s all everyone was talking about – even President Trump commented on it.”
Alongside beautiful photos of Travis, 36, proposing in the garden of his Missouri estate, the momentous announcement included Taylor’s now-immortal words, “Your English teacher and your gym teacher are getting married.”
It became the fastest post to ever reach a million Instagram reposts, achieving the milestone in just six hours. And with the news coming hot on the heels of Taylor’s big reveal about The Life Of A Showgirl, it brought double delight for the Swiftiverse.
“The timing of both announcements, just two weeks apart, could not have been better,” says Lynn. “It was a genius strategic PR move, firstly getting fans excited about her new music, and then offering this rare glimpse into her personal life.”
The pair first got together in the summer of 2023, after Travis attended one of Taylor’s Eras shows and then revealed his crush on her on his and brother Jason’s New Heights podcast. He urged Taylor to “just meet me once, just give me a chance” and, after agreeing, they became instantly smitten.
Speaking on her beau’s podcast in August, Taylor opened up about the early days of their romance, revealing they got to know each other “in a way that’s very natural, very pure, very normal”. She also said Travis “could make me laugh so immediately about normal things” and called him “a vibe booster”.
Just as lovestruck, Travis said of their first meeting, “It was the easiest conversation I ever had.” Within weeks of their first date, Taylor was seen watching Travis at Chiefs matches. Though some initially claimed the relationship was a publicity stunt between the biggest pop princess on the planet and the alpha-male athlete, that was far from the case.
“Travis is not the jock that some assumed him to be,” says Annie Zaleski, author of Taylor Swift: The Stories Behind The Songs . “He has a sensitive side and often gets emotional when talking about Taylor.”
Coming just four months after Travis’ picture-perfect proposal, this festive season is set to be even more precious for Christmas-obsessed Taylor.
“Her birthday falls just before Christmas [on 13 December], so the second half of the month is always super-celebratory,” says Annie. “She loves spending time with family, and I think the added element of her being engaged will make it even more special.”
Taylor’s love of the season stems from her days growing up on a Christmas tree farm in Pennsylvania, and she was only 17 when she released her first festive album, The Taylor Swift Holiday Collection.
In 2019, she released the aptly titled Christmas Tree Farm, based on her childhood memories of the holiday season. “I really love Christmas,” she once said. “I wish it was all year round.”
But she’s also poked fun at her festive fixation, branding herself an “obnoxious Christmas sweater, gingerbread cookie girl”.
It’s not all about dressing up in Yuletide knits, though – the superstar likes to focus on giving back across the whole month and has become known for “Tay-lurking”, where she finds out where fans live, work and what makes them happiest.
In 2014, an event dubbed “Swiftmas” saw her post Christmassy emojis on 32 lucky fans’ socials before she sent each a selection of handpicked gifts – with the FedEx label crossed out and replaced by “SwiftEx”. For one fan, Rebecca Cox from Michigan, thoughtful gifts included a Victoria’s Secret duffel bag, a Polaroid camera, bath and beauty products, a sweater, blanket and candles.
“There’s no one in the music industry who has a heart as big as she does,” said Rebecca at the time. You can tell that she wrapped all the gifts personally.” With Christmas fast approaching, fans can expect yet more seasonal goodwill from Taylor. Last December, she visited Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, where she was pictured hugging young patients, and later gifted one of them, Naya, a replica of the outfit she wore that day.
During the festive period, she also donated $250,000 to a Kansas City children’s non-profit organisation. Though she and Travis will no doubt spoil each other rotten, they’re likely to focus on those less fortunate, too. “They both seem to want to help make the world a better place and use their platforms to improve people’s lives,” says PR expert Lynn.
Despite such a full-on festive season, the couple will also have the small matter of a wedding to plan – with Lynn saying a summer ceremony could be on the cards.
“I’m sure it won’t be a very long engagement – I think they’ll want to get on with it,” she says. “It’s already been framed as the wedding to end all weddings.”
