KEY POINTS
- Taylor Swift says Travis Kelce's garden proposal was a '10 out of 10' surprise.
- Kelce designed her engagement ring with artisan jeweler Kindred Lubeck, inspired by Swift's past comments.
- 'The Life of a Showgirl' album contains lyrical references to Kelce and hints of wedding plans to come.
Taylor Swift is opening up for the first time about her engagement to NFL star Travis Kelce — and the pop megastar says the Kansas City Chiefs tight end truly "crushed it" when he proposed.
In a rare interview on The Graham Norton Show, the 35-year-old singer described the romantic moment Kelce asked for her hand in marriage — an intimate garden proposal that felt straight out of a fairytale.
'He really crushed it in surprising me,' Swift told Norton during her first televised interview since the engagement. 'While we were talking on his podcast, he had a complete garden built out the back of his house to propose in. He went all out — 10 out of 10.'
The superstar, who just released her new album The Life of a Showgirl, appeared radiant in a black bejeweled mini dress during the interview. When pressed about wedding plans, Swift kept things coy but playful: 'You'll know. I want to do the album stuff first, and the wedding is what happens after in terms of planning. I think it will be fun to plan.'
The couple announced their engagement on August 26, after two years of dating that captivated both Swifties and NFL fans alike.
A Ring Designed with Love and Attention
During another interview with the UK's Heart Breakfast radio show on Friday, Swift revealed that Kelce designed her engagement ring himself — with help from jewelry artist Kindred Lubeck, known for her intricate gold engraving.
'He designed it with this amazing jeweler, Kindred Lubeck. She does all of her gold engraving by hand,' Swift said, noting that she had once casually shown Kelce a video of Lubeck's work long before their engagement — never imagining he'd take it to heart.
'I had shown him a video, I just thought her stuff was so cool,' she said. 'I had shown him a video like a year and a half ago, and he was just paying attention to everything it turns out. Because when I saw the ring I gasped — I was like, "I know who made this! And also, you listen to me!"'
Calling the gesture "a flex," Swift added: 'It was like, you really know me. I didn't know what I would want, but he did somehow — and that's kind of a flex.'
According to jewelry experts, the ring is estimated to feature an 8 to 15-carat old mine cushion-cut diamond — a vintage design that nods to Swift's love for timeless romantic symbolism.
Music Meets Love: 'The Life of a Showgirl'
As her fans dissect The Life of a Showgirl, Swift's latest album is already being called her most personal in years — a reflection of stability after years of heartbreak. Several tracks appear to reference Kelce directly, painting a portrait of a love that is grounded, joyful, and enduring.
On the track Wood, she sings: 'Girls, I don't need to catch a bouquet / To know a hard rock is on the way... The curse on me was broken by your magic wand / Seems to me that you and me, we make our own luck.'
Swift even gives a lyrical wink to Kelce's popular NFL podcast, New Heights, with the line: 'New heights of manhood / I ain't gotta knock on wood.'
Critics have praised the record for blending Swift's signature confessional songwriting with a newfound ease — a sense of peace that mirrors her relationship with Kelce.
A Modern Love Story
For a couple whose romance began under the public eye — from viral football game sightings to playful podcast mentions — Swift and Kelce have managed to strike a rare balance between fame and authenticity. Their joint Instagram announcement in August, cheekily captioned 'Your English teacher and your gym teacher are getting married,' charmed millions of fans.
With her wedding on the horizon and her album topping charts worldwide, Swift seems to be embracing both love and legacy in equal measure.
'The battle for me has always been finding someone who sees both sides — the dreamer and the worker,' Swift told Norton. 'And I think I've found that.'
