She was ‘mad as hell’ when she split from Joe Alwyn, not just because of the heartache of a failed relationship and the painful loss of what could have been – but because she had to wave goodbye to London.
Taylor Swift made no secret of the fact she has a soft spot for the capital with talk of ‘walking Soho, drinking in the afternoon’ as well as lyrical mentions to Camden Market, Highgate’s green pastures, hipster enclaves Hackney and Shoreditch and even Brixton in her many odes to the Big Smoke.
And despite replacing her British media-shy ex with a burly, all-American NFL champ in Travis Kelce, she’s not quite been able to shake her love of London.
The Cruel Summer singer, 35, is currently in the UK to promote the release of her 12th album The Last Showgirl, released today, with the trip doubling up as a chance to search for some property, in particular, we are told, Notting Hill.
Swift is no stranger to the area having moved to north London when she was dating Alwyn, 34.
The pair, who were together for six years before they split in 2023, rented a property in Primrose Hill, with Swift spending a large part of coronavirus lockdowns in the UK.
Taylor Swift is currently in the UK to promote the release of her 12th album The Last Showgirl, with the trip doubling up as a chance to search for some property, according to an insider
The singer, 35, is reportedly keen on Notting Hill, a neighborhood she was familiar with after living with ex Joe Alwyn (pictured) in adjacent Primrose Hill
Swift has long been a fan of Notting Hill (pictured) and last summer rounded up her A-list pals Cara Delevingne and Lena Dunham et al for a night at hotspot Casa Cruz
Before their separation there were reports that they were in the process of purchasing a seven-bedroom, £8.3million, Grade II listed luxury mansion in nearby Belsize Park.
Swift has long been a fan of Notting Hill and last summer rounded up her A-list pals Cara Delevingne, Lena Dunham (who recently swapped the States for north London), Haim sisters Este and Danielle, as well as Kate Moss and Stella McCartney et al for a night at hotspot Casa Cruz.
With many a soiree at private members club Annabel’s, and late nights at Bob Bob Ricard and Chiltern Firehouse, Swift has fast become a darling among the British glitterati.
‘She doesn’t always feel safe in the US but has always felt embraced in the UK so is planning to spend a lot more time here,’ our insider said. ‘That includes looking at some properties in the Notting Hill area to expand her property portfolio.’
Swift’s net worth hit $1.6 billion last year, according to Forbes, with a whopping $125 million of that coming from real estate. The So Long, London singer has snapped up houses like her fans collect friendship bracelets.
She first got on the property ladder in 2009, aged 19, when she purchased a three-bedroom penthouse in Nashville for $1.99 million. Fast forward five years and she casually dropped $20 million on two penthouses in New York City’s trendy Tribeca neighborhood before later purchasing adjacent units to make one massive compound of prime real estate worth an estimated $50 million.
She also owns a $17 million ocean-front mansion in Westerly, Rhode Island – the home of her legendary Fourth of July parties – and a $30 million seven-bedroom mansion in Beverly Hills, California. She sold her sprawling Greek Revival house in Nashville, Tennessee, for $4 million back in April.
So, it would make sense to snap up a place in London, especially given the current political climate in the US.
‘She doesn’t always feel safe in the US but has always felt embraced in the UK so is planning to spend a lot more time here,’ our insider said (pictured with friend Lena Dunham who moved to north London)
‘She will be doing more tour dates here so wants to get a feel for what the culture is like now,’ our source said. ‘The battle with President Trump has her exploring her options and looking at different places she’d potentially like to settle down in.
‘She chose the UK for the album release because the energy has been better for her after a year of being attacked by far-right trolls in the US.’
The increasingly divisive political landscape has proved problematic for Swift, a known liberal, who Trump said he ‘hates’. She was said to have been left in shock at Charlie Kirk’s assassination and, coupled with ongoing issues with stalkers and hate mail from her decision to endorse Kamala Harris last year, those around her are not ‘taking any chances’ with her safety.
So much so she has heightened her security, with the singer yet to be pictured cheering on Kelce at his games. Instead, she has been shuffled undercover into stadiums behind bullet resistant screens. Security was also tight during a recent trip to Santa Barbara for her best friend Selena Gomez’s wedding, with her team in overdrive to keep her exact locations under wraps.
An insider previously told the Daily Mail: ‘She was targeted by far-right extremist groups after going against Trump and there are legitimate concerns about some of the threats that have been made. They aren’t taking any chances.’
In August last year she found herself the target of a foiled terror attack in Vienna, Austria, and was forced to cancel three dates in the capital. She said it filled her with a ‘new sense of fear.’
It came days after three young girls were killed in a knife attack on a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport, England, the families of whom she is expected to visit during her trip.
While in the UK, she reportedly has ‘three residences leased for security reasons and will move between them.’ Two are thought to be in London and another in Oxfordshire.
Kelce, 35, joined her on stage in London as part of her Eras Tour last summer at Wembley Stadium
The UK has become a desirable location for American stars looking to escape the US. Ellen DeGeneres packed up her homes on the west coast for a life in the Cotswolds, an area that has recently caught the attention of music megastars Beyonce and Jay-Z.
Other high-profile stars include Eva Mendes and Ryan Gosling, who are currently in Notting Hill with their children. Actress America Ferrera was allegedly spotted checking out schools in west London – after saying she wanted to leave the US when Trump was elected – and Minnie Driver returned to the capital last year after 27 years in Los Angeles, citing a refusal to live in a Republican State.
Right now, Swift is said to have no plans to relocate permanently to the UK. After all, her hunky fiancé Kelce is still dominating in the NFL and recently opened a Steakhouse in Kansas City, Missouri. He‘s also fast becoming a household name in the podcast sphere thanks to New Heights which he co-hosts with his brother Jason who lives in Haverford, Pennsylvania.
‘She’ll always be based in the states, but the UK is exciting to her,’ said our source. ‘Europe gave her so much joy when she was recording the album and her friends have noticed that she’s happy when she’s here.’
