Exclusive Interview
How ‘Christmas in the Spotlight’ Compares to Taylor Swift & Travis Kelce’s Love Story
The biggest pop star in the world falls for a football star? This is a story we know all too well.
With Christmas in the Spotlight, Lifetime has taken inspiration from the most famous love story of the moment between Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce. In the holiday film, out November 23, mega-popular singer Bowyn meets football pro Drew, who attends one of her concerts with his niece. They’re immediately enchanted with each other, but when their romance hits the spotlight, the pressure puts their new relationship to the test.
Jessica Lord and Laith Wallschleger spoke to Swooon about how Bowyn and Drew’s romance relates to Tayvis. “The story is more of an homage,” Wallschleger said. “They have such an interesting new love story that has really unfolded in the public eye. Everyone’s got an opinion about you, but trying to keep it safe and sacred between the two of them on such an intimate level, there’s a lot of different dynamics going on there. We just created our own love story with the skeleton framework that they had.”
Lifetime
There are plenty of ways Christmas in the Spotlight switches up the story so it’s not an exact retelling of Swift and Kelce’s relationship. Lord explained that Bowyn’s background is wildly different from Swift’s close family.
“She lost her dad when she was younger,” Lord noted. “She doesn’t really have a relationship with her mom. It’s really just her and Mira [Jeannie Mai], her manager. I think that’s really something that draws her to Drew as well, the fact that he really does have that warm, fun family dynamic, and she just absolutely loves his family.”
Ezra Shaw / Getty Images
Similar to Kelce, Drew has a famous brother in the film. Drew has always felt like “the second-best one on the team” compared to his older brother. Wallschleger, who played college football and made it to the NFL, was able to relate to that dynamic because of his past experience with his cousin, who also went pro.
The stars weren’t trying to mimic Kelce and Swift, but Lord was thrilled about embodying her inner pop star for this film. “It was a dream come true,” Lord gushed. “It was so much fun. I’ve grown up performing. I’ve been a dancer since I was four, so I naturally have a love for performance and being on stage. As soon as I read the script, I immediately fell in love with Bowyn.”
Check out the moment Bowyn and Drew meet for the first time in the exclusive preview above.
Christmas in the Spotlight, Movie Premiere, November 23, 8/7c, Lifetime
