In Travis Kelce’s words, in case you “went Zero Dark Thirty and weren’t on social media all weekend,” Killa Trav had a big London adventure last weekend, watching girlfriend Taylor Swift perform her sold-out Eras Tour at Wembley Stadium three nights in a row, making a surprise onstage cameo at the last of those concerts, Louboutins and all, and—no big deal, really—meeting the next three people in line for the British throne, Prince William, Prince George, and Princess Charlotte.
On the latest episode of New Heights, the podcast he co-hosts with brother Jason Kelce, published Wednesday and recorded over the weekend from a Philadelphia-themed pub in Jolly Olde London, the brothers discussed meeting the Waleses, British slang, and Jason’s ability to carry stuff (including glass pint glasses of beer) around in his mouth so he can use his hands for other activities, like obtaining the arm full of beaded friendship bracelets he proudly showed off.
Travis, who spent recently spent 10-plus minutes discussing Swift on another podcast, was eager to talk about Jason’s first Taylor Swift concert, something he'd been urging his brother to-do for months. Along with Jason’s wife Kylie Kelce (or “Princess Kyana,” as the siblings affectionately nicknamed her), the two, in Travis’s words, “watched Tay absolutely shred it.” Jason couldn’t help but compare Swift to another music legend.
“It was an awesome experience, obviously the Swifties make it very memorable,” he said. “It was an awesome experience. It was awesome, everyone’s so into it, they’re singing all the songs. There’s two concerts that have been like that: That one, and the first time I saw Bruce Springsteen live. But it was an equal kind of level, like these insane fandoms that love these artists so much that they know all the songs, all the run of show, even.”
He even got a little emotional during the show, admitting that the portion of the evening where Swift gifts an audience member with her hat moved him.
“The ‘22’ hat,” he said. “Dude, I’ve never cried at a fucking concert and I was literally tearing up watching this little girl’s entire—I’m about to tear up right now! It was fucking so special. It was great.”
Daughter Wyatt’s favorite Swift song is “The Man,” which he dutifully recorded video of and sent back home across the pond, but Jason revealed that the "highlight of the evening for me” was Swift’s acoustic surprise song set.
“To be good in front of 90,000 people with just that, I think you have to be amazing,” he said. “And you have to have, one, great songs, great lyrics, which she has obviously written and made, and then to be able to perform those seamlessly on the spot, with nothing else to hide it?”
He went on in awestruck tones.
“It’s the most intimate,” he said. “You’re [with] 90,000 people, but for some reason, it just feels like you’re in a bar listening to somebody play on the piano. Fuck, it was amazing.”
Travis, who is, as noted, proud of Swift, couldn’t help but add, “she gets it.”
The brothers also dished on meeting Prince William and his eldest two children, which led to Travis’s legendary debut on Swift’s Instagram grid. Jason, too, got to meet the royal VIPs. Of William, Travis said, “Dude, he was the coolest motherfucker.”
Jason’s take?
“I did still address him as your royal highness,” he said. “I’ve never felt emasculated, and I did. That was the closest I’ve ever been.” Also: “He’s a good dude.”
Despite being prepped to meet the royals, Travis still admitted to stressing over the classic “what do I do with my hands?” dilemma.
“Wasn’t sure if I was supposed to like bow to them, curtsy, just be a frickin American idiot and shake their hand: ‘Sup, dude!’” he said. “We did want to be polite, especially since we’re on this side of the pond.”
He went on to rib Jason about his deference to the royals.
“I’ve never seen you give someone that much respect. You put your beer like 10 feet away from you,” he said. “‘Your royal highness, thank you. Thank you for allowing us to enjoy your kingdom.’”
The Kelces said they enjoyed meeting all three, but one pint-sized royal stood out as the champ to them.
“I gotta say, Prince William was fantastic, but the highlight was Princess Charlotte,” Jason said. “Prince George was great too. [But] she was so fucking adorable.”
Travis agreed, calling the young princess “a superstar.” They praised William and Kate Middleton’s parenting in encouraging their daughter to speak on her own behalf. “If anybody’s doing it right, Prince William is doing it right,” Travis said.
“I cannot express how, maybe it’s because I have three girls now, she had a fire to her, she was asking questions, that was probably the most electric part of it,” Jason added.
All in all, it seems safe to say that the Kelce brothers had a jolly good time in London.
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