CELEBRITY
SWIFT FEVER: Taylor Swift hires £15,000 a week Cotswold retreat for London concerts as boyfriend Travis Kelce jets in to support her
LONDON succumbed to Taylor Swift fever after the superstar’s arrival in the capital.
Mayor Sadiq Khan finally did something decent by transforming the Tube into a Swiftie paradise, co-ordinating the Tube lines in tribute to her Eras tour.
Taylor is paying £15,0000-a-week for a Cotwolds holiday home
Each line has been named after a different album, and every station takes on the name of a song. I got the train home last night from I Can Do It With A Broken Heart (which is usually London Bridge station). But rather than kicking back in the city following her gigs in Cardiff and Liverpool over the past week, I can reveal Taylor has been holed up in an exclusive £15,0000-a-week Cotwolds holiday home.
Insiders tell me the Shake It Off singer has had access to an exclusive farmhouse estate in the countryside, a stone’s throw from celebrities including Posh and Becks, Simon Cowell and Amanda Holden. The pad comes with its own swimming pool and a tennis court. A source said: “Off stage, Taylor is very low key and likes her home comforts. “She has rented a lovely place in the Cotswolds for some downtime.
Travis Kelce, her boyfriend, was in London for the first gig last night and their pad near Chipping Norton is the perfect place for them to kick back and relax. Taylor has a place in the capital too but with her family on tour with her, it’s nice for them to have some space. “She has been blown away by the reception from her British fans and is loving her time on tour here. “To be back in the UK and to spend some time here has been a real treat.”
Taylor’s parents Scott and Andrea touched down on Taylor’s private jet earlier in the week — the one Just Stop Oil comically missed. Travis’ brother, fellow NFL footballer Jason, has joined Travis, who was making friendship bracelets on the flight over. Friends of mine spotted Jason in Soho yesterday afternoon and said he was going in and out of London pubs to try out local beers.
Elsewhere, Bizarre’s Jack Hardwick, who was at the gig last night, headed to the Black Dog in Vauxhall — a South London pub that inspired Taylor’s song of the same name. He said it was crammed to the rafters with Swifties. The landlord has cashed in and had themed glasses and a picture of Taylor mocked up as Jesus behind the bar. I think they’ll need more than holy water to cure the hangovers, though.
I’m off to the second of eight Wembley Stadium dates tonight and have already packed my earplugs to drown out some of the screaming. Just like Taylor, who spent almost £500 on chicken doner kebabs from the Kentish Delight takeaway in North West London to fuel her team’s performance, I’ll be stopping off for a lamb shish before heading down.
Wish me luck. My ears will need it.
Swifties were pictured arriving early at Wembley in anticipation of her performance