Dancing With The Stars judge Karen Byrne has explained why she hasn’t been wearing her engagement ring after getting engaged to Jake Carter over the weekend.
The couple met on Dancing with the Stars in 2018 and took home the Glitterball trophy, before they revealed their relationship during the summer.
Announcing the news on Instagram, Jake wrote: “Here’s to forever… 💫💍.”
In a sweet clip, Jake surprised Karen with their dog Lenny in the Dancing with the Stars studio.
He also included clips from their first meeting on set, including their win of the competition.
Surprising Karen, Jake said: “Seven years ago we met on this dance floor, and both of our lives changed forever, so I thought it was the perfect place to come back and ask you, will you marry me.”
A stunned Karen has no word, as Jake jokes: “Well, say something. Is it a yes?”
Speaking with James Patrice in a clip shared by RTÉ One, Karen revealed that she won’t be able to wear her engagement ring.
“I haven’t got a ring because I have fat knuckles,” said the 32-year-old.
She explained that she wasn’t expecting the proposal and was under the impression she was ceremonially passing on the trophy after winning last year with Paralympian Jason Smyth.
“They basically said to me yesterday, ‘Oh, we’re gonna do a thing where you’re handing back the trophy and we’re gonna film it’ and whatever. So I’m on set with the trophy, walking down to place it down on this stand,” she told James.
She continued: “Then Jake gets down on one knee and they start playing our whole journey in the background. I nearly died. I was in pure and utter shock.”
The Dancing With The Stars final is taking place this Sunday at 6.30pm on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player.
