It was the surprise engagement of the year when Stevi Ritchie announced that he had proposed to his former fellow X Factor contestant Chloe-Jasmine Whichello. The couple, who have dated for seven months, sent shock waves through cyber world when they confirmed the news on Twitter.
Speaking the following day on This Morning, Stevi and Chloe-Jasmine have opened up about their whirlwind romance and how the singer popped the question.
"It sort of just happened really," Stevi told show hosts Amanda Holden and Phillip Schofield.
© Photo: RexStevi Ritchie and Chloe-Jasmine Whichello revealed they would marry next summer
"I think that's what love is, it comes when you least expect it," said Chloe-Jasmine. "The minute I left The X Factor, I missed him every day. I was so sad not seeing him every day."
Stevi, who was one of Simon Cowell's acts, decided to take his "posh girl" Chloe-Jasmine out to dinner on the night before her birthday and propose to her then.
"I took her to this really posh restaurant and I put this ring in [a bag] with loads of tissue paper and newspaper," said Stevi. "She thought a teddy bear was going to jump out [there was so much texture] and I had to pull the ring out and I put it on her finger – I got down on one knee."
© Photo: RexStevi proposed while the couple were out having dinner, on the eve of Chloe-Jasmine's birthday
A surprised Chloe-Jasmine was so distracted by the food that she didn't quite know what was happening at first.
"We had just been to bootcamp in Norfolk so we were absolutely starving," said the blonde bombshell. "I was very concentrated on the chocolates and you don't expect something like that to happen so out of the ordinary and I actually said 'Are you sure?' I was in shock."
The newly engaged couple also revealed that they will be marrying next summer and that Stevi's daughter would be one of the bridesmaids.
The couple have been together since December
Stevi and Chloe-Jasmine met last year while competing on The X Factor. Despite a few bumps in the road – Chloe-Jasmine had a boyfriend at the time and Stevi admitted that he "didn't fancy her really at all" at the start – a romance blossomed and they confirmed they were going out in December.
Stevi announced the engagement news by posting a photo of the couple, and Chloe-Jasmine's new diamond ring, on Twitter, writing that he was "over the moon".
