Nikki Glaser Says Taylor Swift’s 2024 VMAs Shout-Out to Travis Kelce Came From ‘Genuine Gratitude’

Comedian Nikki Glaser is a major Swiftie, which includes supporting both Taylor Swift’s career and her relationship with football player Travis Kelce.

Swift, 34, publicly praised Kelce, also 34, on Wednesday, September 11, when she won Video of the Year at the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards. Swift had said that “[her] boyfriend, Travis” would be the first — and only — person to loudly cheer between takes of her “Fortnight” music video.

Just like Us, Glaser, 40, “loved” the sweet shout-out.

“We were due for, like, hearing [her say] his name plus the word ‘boyfriend' next to it. It didn't surprise me because … it wasn't just about her being able to say his name and shoehorning him into the speech,” Glaser exclusively told Us Weekly on Saturday, September 14, at the BAFTA North America TV Tea. “It really seemed like it came from a real place of genuine gratitude of, like, ‘Wow, you made this video so much fun to make because of your enthusiasm throughout it.’”

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The comedian added, "Maybe that's something she hasn't had before [and] it stood out to her that after every take there was someone applauding and keeping the morale up for the team.”

In her speech, Swift gushed that “everything this man touches turns to happiness and fun and magic.” Kelce, however, was not in attendance at the VMAs due to previous football commitments.

“The art we're getting from our girl after she has met him is incredible,” Glaser gushed to Us. “She seems to be having such a good time and that's all we want from her. So, I loved the shout-out. I thought it was so genuine and so sweet.”

Swift and Kelce have been together since summer 2023, frequently cheering on one another’s biggest accomplishments. The Grammy winner has also been a fixture at Kelce’s Kansas City Chiefs football games throughout the 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 NFL seasons.

“I have a boyfriend who similarly lifts me up in those ways,” Glaser said, referring to partner Chris Convy. “It really — no matter how high of a level you're operating on — you don't realize how much higher you can operate when you have someone who's cheering you on and just making it fun after every take that you've done 1000 times.”

Convy is currently supporting Glaser as her career reaches new heights, including receiving an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Variety Special.

“It was awesome. I mean, as a comedian, you just don't ever think that you're gonna get nominated for an Emmy,” Glaser told Us on Saturday. “Like, I'm not an actress on TV. It was never my goal. My dreams of doing stand-up have been like, ‘Maybe I'll be friends with Sarah Silverman, or like, maybe I'll do the Tonight Show.’ I've had those moments like, crossed off, but Emmys always just seemed like it'd be a nice [addition].”

Glaser is also gearing up to host the upcoming Golden Globes in January 2025.

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I'm, like, in this beautiful stage of it's been announced, and I get to bask in like, ‘I'm hosting the Globes, but no one's expecting any work out of me yet.’ So the work will begin when the nominees come out,” she teased to Us at the Beverly Hills event. “That's when we go, ‘OK, here's what we're working with,’ and we'll build the writers rooms [and] we’ll start really focusing on it.”

Glaser added, “It’s gonna be a lot, but it'll be such a fun night. I'm just really ready for it. … I really feel confident in that about myself and I don't usually talk like this. It's nice to be this new version of myself that believes in myself.”

While Glaser has yet to hammer out her Globes monologue, it would only feature jokes aimed at Swift “if she wanted [her] to.” (Last year’s host, Jo Koy, appeared to visibly annoy Swift when he took jabs at her and Kelce’s romance.)

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“I'll roast anyone who wants to be roasted. So, if it was a roast of Taylor Swift, it means she's signed on for it and I would absolutely do it,” Glaser told Us. “But my approach to that would be, like, ‘I want to do jokes that won't be mean. I'll just only do nice stuff about how much I love her.’ I'll roast myself for loving her so much.”

Kelce, meanwhile, is already on board with being roasted by Glaser.

“Travis has said that if he ever does [a] roast, he would like me on it,” the FBoy Island host, who appeared on NFL alum Tom Brady’s Netflix roast earlier this year, said. “I would love to roast Travis because I think he could handle it — not that Taylor couldn’t — but that would be really fun.”

With reporting by Mariel Turner