Lucy Spraggan has confirmed her engagement to partner and best friend of 10-years Emilia Smith, with the pair set to marry in June.
The former X Factor star, 32, who was a contestant on the talent show in 2012, took to Instagram on Sunday to share the happy news in a post gushing about her bride-to-be.
The pair announced in January that they had fallen for one another, both sharing posts about the unexpected romance.
In Lucy’s engagement announcement, she shared a carousel of professional engagement photos of her and Emilia.
She captioned the post: ‘”When you know you know”. That’s response we’ve heard the most over the last few weeks when Emilia & I have told our people that we are, in fact, getting married in June.
Lucy Spraggan has got engaged to her friend of 10-years-turned-lover Emilia Smith, with the pair set to marry in June, she announced on Instagram on Sunday
The former X Factor star, 32, who was a contestant on the talent show in 2012, took to Instagram on Sunday to share the happy news in a post gushing about her bride-to-be
‘That’s a phrase I really thought I understood throughout my life, that I believed I had a full appreciation of but… It wasn’t until I fell in love with my friend of 10 years that I truly felt it.’
Lucy spoke of her and Emilia’s friendship through the years, and what made her realisation her feelings went further than platonic.
The singer-songwriter wrote: ‘@emiliakate_, who has quite literally been there all along.
‘Em, that spent hours on the phone with me on my darkest days, who always sent a card in the post to cheer me on, who sent me 48 Tunnocks Tea Cakes when I’d run out whilst writing my book knowing full well they were the emotional support food getting me through the edit.
‘Em, who spoke the same language as me. Who felt feelings to the same kind of depths that I’ve always felt them. Who I always understood, like really understood, and who always understood me.
‘The person I’d go on long walks with & spend whole days at the spa with, talking about everything and anything. Who I always felt completely seen & heard by.’
Lucy continued: ‘I am so thankful that the universe gave me you, Emilia. I was immensely thankful when you were just my friend and I cannot begin to describe the gratitude I have to experience your love in a different way.
‘Every single part of life has had to happen in order to be standing right beside you now & I honestly would not live any other kind of alternative even if I could. People say ‘I don’t know what I did to deserve you’ but I’ve told you before, I think everything I’ve ever done has lead me to you. You were the prize.
The pair announced in January that they had fallen for one another, both sharing posts about the unexpected romance
In Lucy’s engagement announcement, she shared a carousel of professional engagement photos of her and Emilia
Lucy captioned the post: ‘”When you know you know” That’s response we’ve heard the most over the last few weeks when Emilia & I have told our people that we are, in fact, getting married in June’
Lucy spoke of her and Emilia’s friendship through the years, and what made her realisation her feelings went further than platonic
‘All the hard work & all the survival got us both to where we were supposed to be: thriving beside each other. You are without doubt the hottest, most cool, talented, hardworking, kind and spiritual soul I’ve ever come across and it is the world’s greatest privilege to be with you.
‘I hope you know how much I’ve always admired you. I can’t wait to start life as a team. I can’t think of a better way to start a marriage than 10 years of friendship first. I really do know now. Let’s go, girl ✨.’
Lucy competed on the 2012 series of The X Factor but had to withdraw from the competition after being raped in her hotel room.
She has confessed she felt like a ‘corporate problem’ after the assault and was left feeling completely devoid of self worth.
The singer was just 20 when she was scouted to take part in the ITV series in 2012 and became an overnight sensation, with her audition of her own song Beer Fear being watched by millions on TV and online.
But the singer-songwriter left the show abruptly after week three when she was raped by porter Soby Jon – who later pleaded guilty to the attack and was jailed.
Lucy was raped after fellow contestant Rylan Clark’s 25th birthday party during the show (The pair pictured leaving filming studios during their 2012 stint on the X Factor)
Lucy spoke about her experience as a victim of rape on the Lorraine show earlier in July
At the time Lucy departed the show, it was reported she had been ill.
In an interview on Elizabeth Day’s podcast How To Fail, Lucy said the aftercare she received from the show’s production company Freemantle and ITV ‘deflated any ounce of self worth that I had left.’
Breaking down in tears, she added: ‘What makes me sad about that was how let down I was. I just feel sorry for myself. I wish I could have marched in and said “don’t worry we’re going to take you somewhere, you don’t have to worry about anything.”
‘There was, and still is I imagine, a huge failure in duty of care towards me, not just my physical self but my mental self.’
‘After the live final of X Factor 2012 I was not contacted again by ITV, by Freemantle or by Syco. I wasn’t offered ongoing mental health support, I wasn’t offered work. I wasn’t offered a secondary platform to kick start my little row boat off of and restart my life and my career. More important my life, because that destroyed it.’
The assault happened after fellow contestant Rylan Clark’s 25th birthday party, where staff and singers were given ‘free alcohol’ – ultimately leading to Lucy falling unconscious in her hotel room.
Lucy has said X Factor boss Simon Cowell ‘was the only one who treated my like a human being’ after he apologised to her years after the assault (pictured together in 2022)
Some time later, Rylan arrived back at the hotel and checked in on his fellow contestant.
When he left he ensured the door was locked, meaning the porter then had to use a traceable keycard in order to get into the room and commit the rape, she explained.
The next day, Lucy woke up and instantly knew something was wrong.
The brutal attack left her unable to continue the show due to strong side effects of Pep medication – a drug given to her by doctors which can prevent someone contracting HIV.
Yet Lucy has revealed that a glimmer of light came when she was finally offered accountability by Simon Cowell who called her after she wrote to ITV and Freemantle in 2020 after the death of Caroline Flack.
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