Taylor Swift wedding

**Georgie** (0:00)
From BBC Learning English, this is Learning English from the News, our podcast about the news headlines.

**Pippa** (0:06)
In this program, Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce get married.

**Georgie** (0:15)
Hello, I'm Georgie.

**Pippa** (0:16)
And I'm Pippa.

**Georgie** (0:17)
In this program, we look at one big news story and the vocabulary in the headlines that will help you understand it.

**Pippa** (0:23)
You can find all the vocabulary and headlines from this episode as well as a worksheet on our website, bbclearningenglish.com.

**Georgie** (0:33)
OK, Pippa, let's hear more about this story.

**Pippa** (0:41)
Pop star Taylor Swift has married American football player Travis Kelce at a huge wedding in New York City. Are you a big Swiftie, Georgie?

**Georgie** (0:49)
I am not a big Swiftie, but I did go to her concert and I really enjoyed it.

**Pippa** (0:54)
Okay, and a Swiftie is what we call a fan of Taylor Swift.

**Georgie** (0:57)
Yes, now the couple hired Madison Square Garden, a sports arena and concert venue which can hold around 20,000 people.

**Pippa** (1:05)
About 1,000 people, including many celebrities, were reportedly invited to the wedding.

**Georgie** (1:11)
Fans gathered outside the venue in the center of the city, where roads were closed and police were present.

**Pippa** (1:16)
Let's have our first headline. This is from BBC News.
Taylor Swift's rumored wedding celebrations begin with star-studded New York event.

**Georgie** (1:26)
And that headline again from BBC News. Taylor Swift's rumored wedding celebrations begin with star-studded New York event.

**Pippa** (1:34)
This headline is from before the wedding, when the couple hadn't confirmed they were using the venue. It was just rumored.

**Georgie** (1:41)
Yes, and we are interested in star-studded. What can you tell us, Pippa?

**Pippa** (1:46)
Well, we see the expression star-studded in lots of entertainment stories.
Let's start with the first part of the word star. We often refer to celebrities, especially actors and musicians, as stars.

**Georgie** (1:59)
Studded means covered in. So if something like an event is star-studded, it means there are lots of celebrities attending.

**Pippa** (2:08)
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's huge wedding began with a smaller event on Thursday evening, where lots of famous people were spotted arriving. It was a star-studded event.

**Georgie** (2:18)
We can use star-studded to describe anything involving lots of famous people. For example, a film cast or a festival line-up could be star-studded.

**Pippa** (2:30)
We've had star-studded, lots of famous people are involved.

**Georgie** (2:38)
For example, the film premiere was a star-studded event with lots of celebrities on the red carpet.

**Pippa** (2:49)
This is Learning English from the News, our podcast about the news headlines. Today, we're talking about Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's wedding.

**Georgie** (2:57)
Whilst there were many rumors about the wedding, the event had lots of secrets.

**Pippa** (3:02)
For example, guests couldn't tell people they were attending and were reportedly unable to take pictures.

**Georgie** (3:08)
However, since the wedding, some of the famous guests have spoken about the night.

**Pippa** (3:13)
Our next headline is about this. This is from Sky News.
A Pinch Me Moment. Details emerge from Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's New York wedding.

**Georgie** (3:23)
And that headline again from Sky News. A Pinch Me Moment. Details emerge from Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's New York wedding.

**Pippa** (3:32)
This news story is about the experiences of some of the guests who went to the wedding.
We're interested in this phrase, a pinch me moment. What does this mean, Georgie?

**Georgie** (3:42)
Well, a pinch me moment is a moment that is unbelievable and feels like a dream.

**Pippa** (3:47)
Yes, if you pinch somebody, you squeeze their skin between your fingers. It hurts.

**Georgie** (3:53)
Yes. So Pippa, if you were asleep and dreaming and somebody pinched you, you would most likely wake up and realise that you had been dreaming. So it's common to talk about this idea when you're in a situation that feels unreal or too amazing to be true.

**Pippa** (4:06)
So reports about Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's wedding describe amazing food, drinks and entertainment. The guests describe a night that feels like a dream, a pinch me moment.

**Georgie** (4:19)
We can use the idea of a pinch me moment to describe any situation that feels like a dream, usually positive situations that are overwhelming or exciting.

**Pippa** (4:28)
So some other similar phrases, you could say, I had to pinch myself, if something that felt like a dream happened, or you could say, pinch me, I must be dreaming.

**Georgie** (4:37)
Yes. So for example, when I won an award, I had to pinch myself, I thought I must be dreaming. We've had a pinch me moment, a moment that is unbelievable and feels like a dream.