'IT'S BEEN THE BEST YEAR OF THEIR LIVES

Insiders reflect on Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's fairy-tale romance as the couple approach their oneyear anniversary - and weigh in on what's next

- JAIME HARKIN

Over the course of the past 12 months, Travis Kelce won one Super Bowl, landed a hosting gig on the upcoming Prime Video game show Are You Smarter Than a Celebrity? and became the NFL's highest-paid tight end. Taylor Swift shattered records with her highly successful Eras Tour, took home the Grammy Award for Album of the Year (her fourth!) and officially became a card-carrying member of the billionaires club.

The two powerhouses also fell in love, spectacularly and publicly. Their story is straight out of a Hollywood rom-com: On July 8, 2023, Kelce, 34, attended Swift's show at Arrowhead Stadium with the hopes of giving her his phone number.

He recounted his disappointment over not being able to deliver his digits (via a handmade friendship bracelet) two weeks later on his podcast, New Heights, telling his brother, Jason, "I was kind of butthurt." Swift, also 34, was impressed with Kelce's candid confession - she later called the move "metal as hell."

What followed was a whirlwind romance involving behind-the-scenes matchmakers (sportscaster Erin Andrews and Kelce's teammate Patrick Mahomes have both separately taken credit for playing Cupid), her headline-generating appearances at his games, an epic backstage kiss in Buenos Aires, letting loose in the crowd at Coachella and, more recently, double dates with famous pals like Gigi Hadid and Bradley Cooper. "This has been the best year of both of their lives," a source tells Us. "[Between] the Super Bowl and their families meeting and traveling the world together, it's been quite a ride for Taylor and Travis."

HOT ITEM