X Factor played host to a dramatic public proposal last night, but observant viewers were suspicious of a set up.
After standing on the stage of the Wembley Arena just to be eliminated, X Factor hopeful Sam Black ramped up the emotion by bringing his girlfriend on stage to propose to her.
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He’d sung through to renditions of Del Shannon’s Runaway, Sam found his TV dreams at an end, when Simon Cowell decided not to put him through to the next round. But the young singer decided to turn the mood around.
“Is there something I can do before I go?” he asked, “because I’m never going to get this chance.” Simon responded that he could do whatever he wanted.
Sam called his girlfriend, Emma Smith, up on stage to everyone’s apparent shock and asked if he could get a yes from her instead.
Everyone from the judges to Sam’s family and Emma herself seemed completely surprised by the proposal, but some viewers weren’t so sure – spotting what appeared to be a microphone pack on Emma’s back.
“That proposal on X factor was cute and everything but did I spot a microphone pack already on her….?” said one user.
Others didn’t seem to mind whether the proposal was a set up or not – it was still a proposal: “Don’t care how fixed the X Factor is that proposal was the cutest thing ever #xfactor.”
Speaking to The Sun, representatives claimed the proposal came out of the blue for everyone.
“All friends and family that are sat in the audience are mic’d up as a matter of course, so audiences at home can enjoy their reactions to the auditions,” they said. “Sam Black’s fiancé Emma Smith was completely unaware that he was planning to propose at Bootcamp.”
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She certainly looked surprised to be called up to the stage – and seemed delighted to say yes.
Simon took the time to congratulate the couple, saying to Emma “you’ve got yourself one heck of a nice guy there.”
The X Factor continues with the bootcamp rounds this weekend, before heading into the dreaded six-chair challenge.