Emmerdale star Michael Parr has announced his engagement to girlfriend Isabelle Du Plessis, following a romantic proposal during a safari in South Africa. The couple, who live in Leeds with their seven-month-old daughter Suzie, spoke exclusively to the Mirror about their whirlwind romance and the unexpected moment Parr popped the question.
The pair met through the dating app Hinge in October 2023, bonding over their shared interest in Muay Thai boxing. Despite living in different countries at the time – Parr in the UK and Du Plessis in New York – their relationship escalated quickly, with Du Plessis moving to Britain by December. 'It felt like kismet,' she said, citing numerous coincidences that brought them together.
Parr planned the proposal during a trip to visit Du Plessis's family in South Africa. He hoped to find a sign at a watering hole, telling her family he would propose if they saw elephants or giraffes. 'I had no idea at all,' Du Plessis laughed. At one point, she unwittingly thwarted his plans by refusing to join a bushwalk. 'You were literally stopping your own proposal,' Parr joked.
The moment came when a pair of elephants wrapped their trunks around each other. Parr seized the opportunity, pulling out a ring and asking, 'What do you think is more beautiful, those elephants or this ring?' Du Plessis was overwhelmed with emotion. 'I cried a lot. I was so emotional,' she said.
The two-and-a-half-carat diamond ring was sourced from Birmingham's jewellery quarter, with Parr hiding it in their home for five weeks before the trip. 'It's a miracle I didn't find it,' Du Plessis admitted. Parr added, 'I had it in a basket on top of the bathroom cabinet – somewhere she couldn't reach.'
