I’m UK’s top Taylor Swift fan… I’ve spent £10k on merch, my home is devoted to her & I’m going to SEVEN Eras Tour gigs
HE is so devoted to Taylor Swift that Ryan Hetherington has spent at least £10,000 being her superfan.
Every inch of his home is devoted to her, from the candle on his coffee table to the throws on his sofa and the Taylor-themed cups in his kitchen.
He has bought tickets to seven dates of her Eras Tour, owns all her CDs and loves to cover his arms in the tour wristbands and bracelets he got from the gigs.
Ryan, 26, told The Sun on Sunday: “My friends would definitely say I’m Britain’s biggest Taylor Swift superfan and they may be right.
“I adore her — and have done so since I was 11 years old. So to be going to seven of her Eras Tour concerts is beyond a dream.
“To Swifties, Taylor’s tour is an even bigger event than man walking on the moon.
“I am making a special outfit for the show with 20,000 rhinestones.
“I am doing it by hand and it is going to match the one she wears to perform Cruel Summer.
“It’s taken ten hours so far . . . but it will be ready.”
There is huge excitement around Europe about the Eras Tour, which Barclays estimates will generate £1billion in spending in the UK.
Devotee Ryan, from East London, has shelled out £1,000 on tickets and over the years has spent more than £10,000 due to his devotion to the superstar.
His latest purchase was a vinyl copy of her The Tortured Poets Department album, costing £50.
Ryan, who has a masters in aerospace engineering, believes the singer’s success is all down to her songwriting.
He says: “Her songs and their incredible lyrics are the soundtrack to so many Swifties’ lives.
“I come from Cumbria, where there weren’t many people who were openly gay.
“Being part of the Swifties community online created a really inclusive space that led me to feel comfortable simply being me.”
My friends would definitely say I’m Britain’s biggest Taylor Swift superfan and they may be right
Ryan Hetherington
A big part of being a Swiftie is the camaraderie.
He said: “There is nothing like the feeling of a Taylor concert.”
So far he has been to 2014’s The Red Tour, 2015’s 1989 world tour and 2018’s Reputation Tour twice.
SUPERFAN FACTS
- Number of Eras Tour tickets: Seven
- Vinyl albums: 23
- How much spent: At least £10,000
- Number of Taylor-themed outfits: Ten
- Number of merchandise tops: Seven
- Number of rhinestones he is putting on his Eras Tour outfit: 20,000
- Number of Swiftie friendship bracelets: 20
- Number of CDs: 18
- Number of posters: 12
- Number of “Smells like I have Taylor Swift tickets” candles: One
- Years as a superfan: 15
The loyal supporter also goes to monthly five-hour Taylor Swift-themed disco nights and is one of a number of global superfans Taylor has connected with on social media and follows.
He said: “When she liked some of my posts that felt really personal.”
At age 15, Ryan was lucky enough to be invited backstage to meet the star at London’s O2 by her mum Andrea, who spotted him dancing in the crowd.
When she liked some of my posts that felt really personal
Ryan Hetherington
He said: “When Taylor walked into the room like a goddess I was starstruck. I said, ‘You are incredible, keep being you and never change’. And she replied, ‘You never change too’.”
And Ryan couldn’t be more excited to see her once again.
He added: “And to know I’ll be doing that seven times in a row is mind-blowing.”
Do you know a BIGGER Swiftie?
Email sundayfeatures@the-sun.co.uk with the heading SWIFTIE and in 200 words or fewer, tell us why and send in a picture with your name and telephone.