Watch: See Taylor Swift’s First Appearance on Travis Kelce’s New Heights Podcast

Jason Kelce is being honest about a recent change. 

After fans noticed the NFL alum’s beard looked a noticeably darker brown in promos for Taylor Swift‘s upcoming appearance on his and Travis Kelce‘s New Heights podcast, Jason addressed the chatter himself.

In fact, after his pal Ryan Fitzpatrick joked that he felt “betrayed” over the transformation, Jason replied on X Aug. 12, “I promise the dye was for a good reason, don’t hate me.”

While Jason didn’t share the exact reason for the transformation, Swifties are guessing it might have to do with New Heights’ Aug. 13 episode.

“Had to look good for the episode,” one fan wrote on X, “cause we all know it’s going in the history books.”

Indeed, Jason’s darker facial hair was far from the only thing fans pointed out in the New Heights promos—which teased Taylor’s guest appearance.

The other major clue that fans picked up, aside from the silhouette resembling Taylor? The orange background used in the promo graphic—a shift from the podcast’s usual color scheme, prompting viewers to believe the color was alluding to a new era expected from Taylor.

Plus, the orange background especially stood out after the Taylor Nation social media accounts had just posted 12 photos of the 35-year-old wearing orange outfits during her Eras Tour, with a caption that read, “Thinking about when she said ‘See you next era…’”

Indeed, fan theories were proven correct as later that same day, as the podcasts’ social media accounts shared that Taylor would in fact be the guest of honor. Then, hours later, the podcast followed up with a second clip announcing a new era is in fact happening.

I promise the dye was for a good reason, don’t hate me

— Jason Kelce (@JasonKelce) August 12, 2025

“So I wanted to show you something,” Taylor shared in a clip released on Instagram at 12:12 a.m. ET on Aug. 12. “This is my brand new album, The Life of a Showgirl.”

As she made the announcement, she removed a vinyl with blurred out cover art from a mint green briefcase with orange text on the front, marking her 12th album. 

Then, to an enthusiastic scream from Jason, Travis hyped up his girlfriend since 2023’s new project, shouting, “TS12!!!”

For more of Taylor and her relationship with Travis and his family, read on.

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