In the world of pop culture, few moments have broken the internet quite like Travis Kelce’s surprise cameo on Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour stage in London. It was the crossover event of the decade: the NFL superstar donning a tuxedo to carry the world’s biggest pop star across the stage at Wembley Stadium. Now, in a heartwarming and hilarious new interview on the “New Heights” podcast, the couple has finally pulled back the curtain on how that iconic moment came to be—and the sheer panic that accompanied it.

Sitting down with Travis and his brother Jason, Swift opened up about her favorite memories from the record-breaking tour. While she spoke affectionately about the intergenerational bonding in the crowd and the creative “traditions” fans invented—like the spontaneously illuminated balloon “orbs” during the song “Willow”—the conversation inevitably turned to that night in London.

According to Swift, the idea for Kelce to join her on stage wasn’t a calculated PR move or a long-planned stunt. It began, as many of their best moments do, as a bit.

“We both thought we were just joking,” Swift explained, describing their dynamic where much of their conversation exists “inside of a bit.” She recalled asking him, “Wouldn’t it be funny if…” only to see a shift in his demeanor. “I saw that little twinkle in your eye where I was like, ‘Oh, he wants to do it.’”

For Kelce, however, the transition from joke to reality was a nerve-wracking leap. Despite playing in Super Bowls and performing in front of millions of football fans, he admitted that the Eras Tour stage was a different beast entirely. “I felt like an ant,” Kelce confessed. “I felt like the smallest piece of life ever.”

The Kansas City Chiefs tight end revealed that when the lights hit him, his usual swagger evaporated into a “blackout” state. “I just black out and hope that it ends out perfect,” he laughed. His primary fear? Dropping his girlfriend in front of 90,000 screaming fans.

“Don’t drop her, don’t drop her, don’t drop her,” Kelce recalled chanting internally as he lifted Swift.

Swift found his anxiety hilarious, pointing out the absurdity of a professional athlete worrying about physical strength. “You could like throw me over a mountain,” she teased. “But it was so special. It was one of the loudest, if not the loudest, screams I’ve ever heard on the tour.”

The interview also touched on another highlight from the London stop: Jason Kelce’s encounter with British royalty. Swift, who seems to have a keen eye for the Kelce brothers’ internal monologues, recounted watching Jason struggle with a quintessential dilemma while preparing to meet Prince William and his children.

“I watched him have this moment with his beer,” Swift laughed. She described seeing Jason weigh the “authenticity” of holding his drink against the protocol of a royal introduction. “He’s just like, ‘But I want to take it, but I know that I probably should not take it… Is it disrespectful to have a beer when meeting royalty, or am I just being authentic?’”

Jason confirmed her assessment, admitting he didn’t know what to do with his hands without the beverage. It’s these human, unscripted moments that Swift says she treasures most—whether it’s her boyfriend panicking in a tuxedo or his brother debating beer etiquette with royals.

Beyond the laughs, Swift spoke passionately about her goal to make music an “event” that brings people together. She marveled at how her fans took ownership of the show, comparing the audience participation to The Rocky Horror Picture Show. “They have their own show literally,” she said, referencing the fan-made “orbs” and chants that became permanent fixtures of the tour.

“I love to plan, but I also do love surprises,” Swift noted. And for fans of the couple, getting to hear them banter about “violent chess” (Swift’s term for football) and stage fright offers a surprise more intimate than any concert special. It reveals a relationship built not just on grand gestures, but on shared jokes, mutual support, and the willingness to be a little bit terrified together.

As the Eras Tour continues to leave its mark on history, it’s clear that for Swift, the magic isn’t just in the music—it’s in the memories made with the people, and the “ant-sized” boyfriend, she loves.