Life changed in an instant for singer Carolynne Good when she encountered England cricketer David Willey. "He made me believe in love at first sight," says the former X Factor and Fame Academy contestant in an exclusive interview in HELLO!. "I've gone from feeling like it might never happen for me to feeling like I don't know what I would do without him." Less than a year after the couple met, 26-year-old David surprised Carolynne with a romantic proposal in Scotland and they revealed they were planning to tie the knot in a Yorkshire church.
Carolynne and David spoke about how they met
Carolynne first met David at a cricket match, and had been there to watch her cricketer friend Jonny Bairstow play in a match at Old Trafford. "I'll be honest – I wanted to support my friend but I didn't want to watch cricket," she explained. "Then David's photo appeared on the giant screen and I thought it was the most beautiful face in the world. After the match, I went to say goodbye to Jonny and I knew David would be there, too, but I got so shy and embarrassed that I rushed back to the car."
The couple have since welcomed a son, Jacob
Fortunately, David found out who she was and got in touch. "I sat bolt upright in bed [when I saw his message]," she laughed. Talking for the first time and sharing a romantic video of the proposal with HELLO!, Carolynne, 35, reveals that when David got down on one knee and presented her with a sparklng white "D" diamond pear drop-style ring. David revealed details of the proposal, saying that he said: "I said, 'These are some of the memories we have made over the past year and I want to make memories with you for the rest of my life.'" Carolynne joked: "Then I started crying so much and thought, 'Oh, God, if he sees my face he'll change his mind.'" Carolynne reached the Judges' Houses stage of The X Factor in 2011 and the live shows with Gary Barlow as her mentor in 2012 when she performed under the name Carolynne Poole.
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The couple have now tied the knot
Carolynne first saw David who is the son of former England cricketer and Test umpire Peter Willey, by chance when she went to watch a friend play cricket. Of their first date Carolynne tells HELLO!: "The feeling I got was that I'd known him my entire life," says Carolynne. "He was in front of me and it was like, 'Suddenly he's here.'". I'd been single for a long time and I'd got to the stage where I would rather spend time with my family and close friends than be on some daft date." David added: "We were both really nervous. We spent the entire day in a pub beer garden chatting and most of the time we were laughing, so that was a good sign. As soon as she left I knew that I really wanted to see her again." Speaking about their age gap, Carolynne joked: "Look at his face. We always say that mentally it should be the other way around. He is an old soul." She added: "When I look back at that day of the cricket match, I go cold. It's like the film Sliding Doors – if I'd done something a bit different, we would never have met."
READ: A look back at the beautiful wedding of England cricketer David Willey and singer Carolynne Good
David also spoke about his now-wife, and how he was "a nervous wreck" when he watches her perform. "I hadn't really watched The X Factor but that was the only series I followed," says David, who had no idea he was watching his future wife. Speaking about her X Factor experience, Carolynne said: "I still look back at The X Factor warmly. I've still got friends from that time. And it's good not to have any regrets. It drew attention to me for the better because I got to work with more songwriters in America."
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