BBC star Keith Brymer Jones has announced his engagement to long-term partner Marj Hogarth after proposing live on stage in front of a stunned audience.
A Surprise Proposal in Cardiff
The Great Pottery Throw Down judge, 61, popped the question to actress Marj, 58, during their touring show, Us, Pots and a Welsh Chapel, at the New Theatre in Cardiff. Thankfully for Keith, the proposal went exactly to plan, and Marj said yes in front of hundreds of theatre-goers.
The ceramic designer shared the happy news on Instagram afterwards, revealing that the audience of his Cardiff show witnessed the special moment in real time. He wrote: "Well folks, it was a pretty special night tonight @newtheatrecdf as I proposed to @marjhookhatchet Marj and fortunately she said yes! I don't think the wonderful audience could believe what was going on."
He added: "Thank you to @kontour_productions and @faneproductions and Love Productions for allowing me to plan and pop the question on stage. The stage was significant because it's where Marj feels the most comfortable, being on stage. #Cardiff."
Fans React to the Engagement
Keith also shared a series of photos which showed the newly engaged couple smiling backstage after the proposal, as Marj proudly displayed her striking amber ring which is circled by diamonds. Fans were full of well wishes for the pair. One audience member wrote: "It was incredible to watch it unfold in person in the audience, especially after hearing your own personal stories in life, huge congratulations to both of you." Another described the couple as perfectly matched.
A New Chapter for the Couple
The engagement marks an exciting new chapter for Keith and Marj, who have already been together for 16 years. The couple previously lived in Kent before relocating to North Wales, where they have documented themselves restoring their home on the Channel 4 series Our Welsh Chapel Dream.
Keith is now a familiar face on television, but he went through many difficult years along the road to success. The clay artist grew up in North London, where he found himself struggling at school due to his undiagnosed dyslexia, and also experienced severe bullying from his classmates.
From Struggles to Stardom
He now says that everything changed for him when he discovered pottery during an art class. In his memoir A Boy In A China Shop, he recalled that transformative moment, writing: "Just looking at this lump of clay washed away all the anxiety I usually felt when asked to do anything in class. It felt amazing, like I was holding my own imagination there in my hands."
Pottery soon became a refuge for the future TV star, who was given his own key to the art room after nasty peers hid razorblades in his clay. After leaving school, Keith worked at a pottery workshop before eventually launching his own ceramics business. His range of porcelain bucket mugs became a huge commercial success and is still popular around the world today.
He broke through to the world of telly after his pottery-themed parody of Adele's Rolling In The Deep caught the attention of the producers behind The Great Pottery Throw Down, which was being aired on BBC Two at the time. Since joining the programme, Keith has become known for his tearful reactions to contestants' work, which the Channel 4 series director described as "TV gold."
