Amanda Abbington has likely been showered with support from her fiancé Jonathan Goodwin following her sudden exit from Strictly Come Dancing due to 'personal reasons'.
The Sherlock actress – who was previously married to her co-star Martin Freeman – had a whirlwind romance with Jonathan before they got engaged. In fact, they had only got 30 minutes through their first date before committing to marrying one another!
© GettyThey initially connected on Twitter in 2012 after Amanda's son Joe, whom she shares with Martin, spotted the stuntman's escapades. They exchanged friendly messages for several years before their relationship turned romantic in 2021 following both of their splits from their ex-partners.
At the time, Jonathan was living in Las Vegas and Amanda was filming in Vienna, but despite the long distance, he made the time to come and visit her. "I had fancied him for a few years," Amanda admitted in an interview with The Guardian, adding: "I was filming in Vienna and had a little downtime. I was like a giddy schoolgirl, constantly messaging him while he was at work."
© GettyFollowing a seven-hour phone call, Jonathan had not only decided to relocate back to the UK to make things work between them, but he had also put plans in place to propose during their first meeting in Vienna.
"By this time, I knew that I was going to ask her to marry me. I had been planning it already, even though we’d only been talking for a month," he said.
It only took the Britain's Got Talent star 30 minutes to pop the question with a stunning solitaire diamond ring, which is thought to be worth up to £17k.
© InstagramSpeaking of the proposal, Jonathan revealed his elaborate and romantic gesture was a little confusing for Amanda at first, so it took her a few minutes to realise he was asking for her hand in marriage.
"I cut the shape of the ring box out of the middle of a book of Shakespeare’s sonnets, so it fitted inside. Underneath the box it said: ‘Will you marry me?'"
What engagement ring does Amanda Abbington have?
© Ken McKay/ITV/ShutterstockKyron Keogh, Managing Director and Co-founder of ROX, told HELLO!: "Amanda Abbington's engagement ring features a stunning brilliant cut diamond that looks like it’s 1 carat. If the diamond is natural and of superior quality (D/VS1), it could be worth an estimated £17,500." He added that brilliant-cut diamonds are renowned for their "everlasting elegance" and stated: "This cut showcases remarkable clarity and brilliance, capturing and reflecting light from every perspective.”
Meanwhile, Maxwell Stone from Seven Stone offered a more modest estimated price of just $2k (£1.6k), reasoning that it features "a 0.60ct round brilliant cut diamond" and may have been a family heirloom. "Believed to signal everlasting love and eternity, round cut diamonds are a particularly romantic choice for an engagement ring and Amanda’s is set in yellow and white gold, flanked by what looks like baguettes on the side," he explained to HELLO!. "The sparkler looks like it’s been passed down, either from Amanda’s or her fiancé’s family. I’d estimate it to be worth around $2,000 – an incredibly modest price for a celebrity engagement ring."
© Ken McKay/ITV/ShutterstockThe couple had only been engaged for a couple of weeks before Jonathan was involved in a terrible accident that left him paralysed from the waist down. In October, he was filming a stunt in Atlanta that involved two cars on fire which went wrong, leaving him with a severed spinal cord, a broken spine, shattered legs, third-degree burns and other major injuries.
Jonathan said he'd understand if Amanda wanted to end their relationship following his accident, explaining: "I said you have a get out of jail free card, if you want to walk away I understand and she told me not to be so stupid."
Why did Amanda Abbington leave Strictly?
The couple are yet to announce their wedding plans, but Amanda has already been spotted wearing a silver band next to her engagement ring. If they have not yet tied the knot, they will likely have more time to plan now Amanda's schedule isn't jam-packed with Strictly rehearsals.
The Mr Selfridge star, who was partnered with professional dancer Giovanni Pernice, released a statement on social media explaining the she was leaving the BBC dance competition.
"It is with deepest regret that I had to leave Strictly. I did not come to this decision easily or lightly but for personal reasons I am unable to continue," she told her Instagram followers.
© Guy Levy"It was an absolute joy working with my fellow contestants, they are a beautiful, hardworking and talented group of people who I love and who I will miss seeing every Friday and Saturday and competing alongside. I want to thank the incredible Production team and everyone on Strictly who looked after me and who are so kind and caring. It's a wonderful bunch of people and I’ll miss all of them.
"I'm so sad that I am unable to go any further. Thank you to everyone who voted and who sent wonderful messages and inspiring support. You are all amazing. Truly. Thank you. Xxx," she continued.
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