"Your English teacher and your gym teacher are getting married."

With that one-line, five-picture Instagram post, signed off with a fire cracker emoji, Taylor Swift announced her engagement to American football player Travis Kelce, sending the internet into a frenzy.

Swift, wearing a Ralph Lauren halter neck dress and diamond encrusted Cartier watch, flashes her engagement ring in the photos. Kelce is pictured getting down on one knee poping the very question, gazing into each other's eyes and embracing.

As our music correspondent puts it, Instagram's like button is on fire, with the post liked more than 13 million times already.

Congratulations have poured in from all sides, including US President Donald Trump. "I wish them a lot of luck," Trump says. "I think he's a great player. A great guy. And I think she's a terrific person."

We are now closing this live page. You can read more here about how Swifties "freaked out" over the very happy news from their idol.

Image source, Getty Images

As Asia wakes up to the news, let's take a look at Taylor-mania on this side of the world.

Last year, the Asia swing of Taylor's record-breaking Eras tour landed in Tokyo, Japan and Singapore.

The singer's appeal was so great that a diplomatic row erupted in the region over Singapore securing an exclusive deal with concert organisers to ensure that it was the only country where Taylor performed.

At the time, millions of fans competed for around 330,000 tickets at Singapore's national stadium.

The six sold-out shows saw Swifties descend on the city from across South East Asia, splashing out on flights, hotels and sequins that saw a major boost to its economy.

Image source, Getty Images

Travis Kelce's father, Ed Kelce, has revealed that his son proposed to Taylor almost two weeks ago.

Speaking with News 5 Cleveland, he said Travis was "going to put it [the proposal] off until this week", but with some encouragement from him and Taylor's father, Scott Swift, Travis finally popped the question at a garden in Lee's Summit, Missouri.

"They were about to go out to dinner, and he said, 'let's go out and have a glass of wine,' ... they got out there, and that's when he asked her, and it was beautiful," he said.

Brian West, USA Today's Taylor Swift reporter, has been speaking to the BBC on how Swifties have reacted to her engagement news. Have a watch:

Image source, Getty Images

Taylor's celebrity friends have been swift with their well wishes for the happy couple.

Pop star Sabrina Carpenter reshared the couple's engagement post on her Instagram along with a string of white hearts.

Singer Charlie Puth also sent his congratulations: "This is the best part of life. So happy for you both!!"

Basketball superstar Caitlin Clark reacted by soundtracking her repost of the news to the tune of So High School.

Fellow pro-athlete and Swiftie, tennis star Iga Swiatek was told of the engagement during an interview at the US Open.

"Oh my God, I'm so happy for her! She deserves the best," she gushed and invited Taylor to watch some tennis.

Members of her so-called girl squad Gigi Hadid, Karlie Kloss and Cara Delevingne were all quick to smash the like button on the announcement.

However, so far noticeably absent from the now over 21m likes on Instagram is Taylor's long-time friend Blake Lively.

Caitlin Wilson
US Live editor

Image source, Getty Images

The announcement of this superstar engagement is huge news around the world - but nowhere bigger than in Kansas City, where Travis Kelce plays for the Chiefs NFL team - and the city where I grew up.

The local newspaper, the Kansas City Star, has splashed a giant headline at the top of their homepage, dedicating at least seven stories on their site to the excitement.

According to the paper, institutions across the city are planning lights displays tonight to celebrate the news, including at the historic Union Station downtown and a public art sculpture in a popular shopping area.

"Congratulations on the magical new era, Taylor and Travis!" the venue posted on their Instagram page.

"I love how KC shows up for the two of them!" writes one commenter.

Playing host to one of the world's most famous pop stars over the last few years, with Swift visiting to watch Kelce play at Arrowhead Stadium, has injected a dose of celebrity fun into this mid-size US city as residents trade stories about who has spotted the artist around town and where.

And it's boosted the image of the city - which straddles the Kansas-Missouri state line in a configuration that confuses even the most geography-savvy outsiders - to a wider audience, who may now have new reason to learn about its history of jazz music, the famous Kansas City Monarchs Negro League baseball team and the only official US World War One museum, located in town.

"We're biased but we have the coolest city," another commenter says on the Union Station Instagram post.

For many Swifties, news of the engagement came from an unlikely source: ESPN.

The sports publication sent a push alert on its mobile app about the engagement from one of its leading American football reporters.

"If someone told me 3 years ago the way I'd find out about this was from an ESPN notification, I would've thought they were insane," one Reddit user said.

Nardine Saad
US reporter in Los Angeles

Image source, PA Wire

Let the wedding-planning games begin. I just spoke to a celebrity event planner about what goes into coordinating a high-scale event like the upcoming Swift-Kelce nuptials.

Katie Brundige, owner of Intertwined Events, an event planning firm based in Southern California, says she's expecting Taylor to plan an intimate wedding with a select group of people at a location "that has significant meaning" to who they are as a couple.

To get a sense of what that could look like, Brundige recommends we look to Taylor's new ring.

"When you look at her engagement ring, it’s not typical. It’s beautiful and has a timeless feeling. It’s elevated, you can tell it's very valuable, but it's unlike most things. That's the style that this wedding is going to be created in," she says.

Brundige also predicts that Taylor will move the planning in-house, citing previous issues the pop star has had working outside of her team, such as the infamous Ticketmaster meltdown when the ticketing giant couldn't handle demand for her juggernaut The Eras Tour in 2022.

"To me this [wedding] is one of the biggest moments of her life, I expect her to be very hands-on in the process and I don't expect us to see all these big celebrity names in the planning," Brundige says.

"I think she’s going to follow her heart on who she thinks can tell her story the best (in planning her wedding). I truly think it will be people we never heard of before."

Mark Savage
Music correspondent

Image source, taylorswift/instagram

This will be Taylor's first time as a bride - but she previously made one couple's happy day even happier by interrupting their ceremony.

It happened in 2016 when Max Singer and Kenya Smith were tying the knot in Long Beach, New Jersey.

"I apologise for wedding crashing,” said Swift, before sitting down at a piano and performing her hit song Blank Space.

It was a moment loaded with meaning and emotion, because the song had been a favourite of the groom's mother Janey Singer, who died of lung cancer shortly before the wedding.

Prior to their ceremony, the couple had exchanged vows in a private marriage at Janey's hospice, and she danced with her son to the song.

When Swift heard the story, she made up her mind to attend the ceremony. Her appearance, which included a handmade picture, external for the couple, “restored everyone’s faith in humanity,” said the groom's sister, Ali Singer.

In hindsight, Major League Baseball probably would have liked to announce the schedule for its 96th season on another day.

America's pastime and Swift made their announcement in the same hour and you can safely guess which of the two announcements sent phones worldwide buzzing.

"Thanks a lot, Taylor Swift. Now no one cares that next year's schedule is out," the Cleveland Guardians team said on X.

The baseball team is coincidentally based in the future groom's hometown.

Krystyna Gajda
Live reporter

Image source, SoFi Stadium,

The SoFi Stadium is not just the home of the LA Rams and the LA Chargers - it's also hoping to have a sporting chance as a wedding venue for the star couple.

In a post on X, the stadium is throwing its hat into the ring nice and early, saying: "Just putting it out there that we’re available for wedding bookings."

The fact that Taylor performed her Eras Tour concerts there in August 2023 might stand it in good stead.

And with a capacity of up to 100,00 - wedding guest numbers should be no problem.

I wonder if that means we may get an invite?

Mark Savage
Music correspondent

Image source, Taylor Swift / Instagram

Over at Brides magazine (I have a lifetime subscription), they've been talking to diamond experts about Taylor Swift's rather impressive new finger jewellery.

According to one, her ring is a Victorian throwback, with an estimated value of $550,000 (around £400,000).

The band features an "antique cushion-cut diamond that is approximately eight carats," explained Benjamin Khordipour of Estate Diamond Jewellery. It was "handcrafted in 18k yellow gold and the centre diamond is set with needle point prongs that perfectly match the antique style.

"Smaller diamonds and hand-engravings adorn the shoulders of her setting."

So now you know.

Image source, City of Reading X social media account

When you've worked in journalism as long as we have, there's a few phrases you're used to hearing. One of those terms is "there's always a local angle".

Today is no different.

Without even naming names, the respective birthplaces of the celebrity couple have been recognising the news of their engagement.

The city of Cleveland in Ohio was the first to get in on the act, posting Kelce and Swift's pictures with the caption "local man and his new fiancée stun in engagement pics." Kelce was born in a Cleveland suburb.

Not to let the opportunity pass them by, a short while later, the city of Reading, Pennsylvania - Swift's hometown - quoted the post saying "local woman and her new fiancée stun in engagement pics."

Image source, Taylor Swift/ Travis Kelce

There will be a 'Blank Space' on Taylor Swift's ring finger no more - the enormous gold diamond is difficult to miss.

The ring was designed by Kindred Lubeck of Artifex Fine Jewellery, the PA News Agency understands.

There are similar reports on the ring's designer in US media.

Lubeck’s website describes her as a "goldsmith, hand engraver, and vintage jewellery collector".

According to her Instagram, she is based in New York.

Image source, Getty Images

Kansas City Chiefs are the latest to send their good wishes to the newly engaged couple.

Writing on X, the Chiefs begin their post with "Today is a fairytale."

"Congrats to Travis and Taylor - we're excited to have you as a permanent member of the Chiefs Kingdom family!"

Mark Savage
Music correspondent

Image source, Getty Images

Although last year's Tortured Poets Department album was largely concerned with Taylor's break-up from actor Joe Alwyn and a subsequent fling with The 1975 frontman Matty Healy, her relationship with Travis Kelce was the inspiration for two of the record's 31 tracks.

The Alchemy was the most obvious tribute to their relationship, with Taylor singing about the rejuvenating powers of new romance.

The song was stuffed full of references to American football - including the memorable image of celebrating a touchdown with your top off.

"Shirts off, and your friends lift you up, over their heads / Beer stickin' to the floor, cheers chanted 'cause they said / There was no chance trying to be the greatest in the league / Where's the trophy? He just comes, running over to me."

Later, on So High School, she nods to the relationship's origin story with the lyric: “You knew what you wanted and boy you got her”.

Fans are already speculating whether Swift's 12th album, The Life of a Showgirl, will make further reference to the romance when it arrives in October. Song titles like Actually Romantic suggest it will... but there's also a track named after Elizabeth Taylor, who famously had seven husbands.

Noor Nanji
Culture reporter

Image source, Getty Images

She’s one of the biggest music artists on the planet. He’s an American football superstar.

Both are hugely successful in their respective fields, with sizeable - although different - fortunes.

Last year, Taylor Swift joined the world's wealthiest people on a billionaire’s list.

Together, they are a social media juggernaut with huge star power. And their worlds have come together in some surprising ways.

The Swift-Kelce media coverage exploded when the singer first attended a Kansas City Chiefs game in 2023.

The romance led to Kelce's jersey sales skyrocketing, NFL viewership numbers got a bump and the league's middle-aged male-dominated audience has been joined by the Swifties - die-hard fans of the singer-songwriter.

But the real way you know you've got real star power is when social media has come up with a collective nickname for your relationship.

Together they are Tayvis, Traylor, Swelce or maybe even 'TNT'.

Image source, Reuters

So, how did we get here?

Let's take a brief look back at the couple's relationship:

It all kicked off in July 2023, when Kelce revealed on his podcast - New Heights - that he'd tried to meet Swift after attending an Era's Tour concert.

Fast forward two months to September, and Swift was spotted - alongside Kelce's mum - attending a Kansas City Chiefs game.

Then, in October, the pop star attended another Chiefs game - this time accompanied by a host of celebrity friends including Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds, Sophie Turner and Sabrina Carpenter.

Kelce then returned the favour the next month, making an appearance at Taylor Swift's Eras tour, alongside the singer's dad Scott.

It was only in December 2023 that Swift spoke publicly about her relationship with the NFL star, telling Time magazine about how their relationship had blossomed.

From then, their public appearances started to ratchet up. In February 2024, Swift attended the Super Bowl in support of her partner, with their public displays of affection producing some viral photographs.

They went to Coachella as a couple in April 2024, then Kelce was debuted on Swift's Instagram in June.

And 2025 saw the couple go from strength to strength, with Swift making her second appearance at the Super Bowl, and on the podcast where Kelce first expressed his interest in Swift. A full circle moment.

Image source, Taylor Swift/ Travis Kelce

A florist to the stars has offered resounding praise for the elaborate setting of the couple's engagement photos.

"The florals used are beautiful, personal and poetic" says Jeff Leatham, a florist whose clientele includes the Kardashians and Oprah Winfrey.

The flowers visible in the photos include different varieties of garden roses, white delphinium, pink nerine and hydrangeas, he explains.

"It is beyond perfect for her" he tells the BBC, "like a beautiful, hidden secret garden"

"Could not have been better and the perfect setting for them."

Leatham sends his congratulations to the happy couple: "I am so happy for them both".

Noor Nanji
Culture reporter

Taylor Swift may be basking in her engagement for now, but the singer will soon be busy promoting her new album.

Earlier this month, she revealed details of the record.

Speaking on Kelce's New Heights podcast, she said she was in "the most infectiously joyful, wild, dramatic place" when writing the record.

On the same podcast, Kelce said the album is "upbeat" and will make people dance. He called it a 180-degree turnabout from her last album, The Tortured Poets Department.

"Life is more upbeat," Swift said in response, smiling and looking at Kelce.

Sickly sweet? You got it. And no wonder.

Now we know they’re engaged to be married, it all suddenly makes so much sense.