Turns Out, Travis Kelce Welcomes the “Challenge” of Media Attention Now That He’s Dating Taylor Swift

“I just always felt comfortable with the camera on me and the lights on me.”

Travis Kelce #87 of the Kansas City Chiefs celebrates and kisses Singer Taylor Swift following the NFL Super Bowl 58 football game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs at Allegiant Stadium on February 11, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
(Image credit: Getty Images)

If you thought the intense media scrutiny surrounding Taylor Swift would deter Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce from continuing to date the super star, you'd better think again.

In an exclusive interview with Extra promoting his upcoming game show Are You Smarter Than a Celebrity?, the three-time Super Bowl champion opened up about life in the spotlight as the "golden retriever boyfriend" to arguably the most influential and famous pop star on the planet.

“I think it was all the home videos my mom used to have with the old camcorder, the handheld joint, at the house. I just always felt comfortable with the camera on me and the lights on me," Kelce said.

"I love a good challenge. I get excited for a challenge. Something that I haven't done before is something that really makes me focus," he continued. "And there's something about that that I got a love for.”

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce at Neon Carnival held during the Coachella Music and Arts Festival on April 13, 2024 in Thermal, California.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Recently, a source close to Swift told US Weekly that the "Eras Tour" singer is relieved that she doesn't "feel the need to hide" from the spotlight when she is out and about with her NFL boyfriend.

“He makes her feel safe and protected like she has the freedom to be and act however she wants," the insider said at the time.

In a wide-ranging interview for her 2023 TIME Magazine Person of the Year profile, Swift herself discussed how lovely it is to not feel the need to hide such a personal and important part of her life from the media, cameras and her devoted fans.

“When you say a relationship is public, that means I’m going to see him do what he loves, we’re showing up for each other, other people are there and we don’t care,” she told the publication at the time. “The opposite of that is you have to go to an extreme amount of effort to make sure no one knows that you’re seeing someone. And we’re just proud of each other.”

Travis Kelce #87 of the Kansas City Chiefs celebrates and kisses Singer Taylor Swift following the NFL Super Bowl 58 football game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs at Allegiant Stadium on February 11, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Travis Kelce kisses Taylor Swift following the NFL Super Bowl 58 football game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs at Allegiant Stadium on February 11, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

In the wake of Swift releasing her eleventh studio album The Tortured Poets Department—a surprise double feature with an additional 15 songs—Kelce is reportedly extremely supportive of his girlfriend's latest musical venture, despite the fact that it's a "break-up album" and discusses her past relationships with Joe Alwyn and Matty Healy.

"If it is about Joe (Alwyn) or anyone, even if it is about him in the future, this is the artist she is and he is in love with her and doesn’t pay any attention to be jealous,” a source told The Daily Mail. “He understands this is a major part of what makes her the person and artist she is and he is no way looking to thwart the direction she takes."

As Kelce prepares to host the new game show, Swift reportedly has her boyfriend's back 100% as they continue to keep up with their busy schedules while simultaneously trying to find the time to focus on each other and their budding relationship.

“Taylor is very excited about the opportunities Travis is getting and fully supports him,” a source recently told Us Weekly. “(But) she wants him to be conscious of his schedule. The only issue is making sure they can see each other.”

Danielle Campoamor is an award-winning freelance writer covering mental health, reproductive justice, abortion access, maternal mental health, politics, celebrity, and feminist issues. She has been published in The New York Times, Washington Post, CNN, NBC, Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, Marie Claire, InStyle, Playboy, Teen Vogue, Glamour, The Daily Beast, and more.