A pantomime star was left stunned following a surprise on-stage proposal during the opening weekend of his Christmas run.

Lee Samuel, 37, was taking his final bow when his boyfriend Lee Johnston, 30, appeared from behind the curtain at Beacon Arts Centre in Greenock, in Inverclyde, and got down on one knee.

Mr Samuel happily said “yes” in front of the packed audience on Sunday, which included cheering family members and friends.

The pair, from Yoker in Glasgow, have been together for two-and-a-half years.

In a video capturing the proposal, Mr Johnston said that their time together had been “so special” as he declared Mr Samuel “the love of my life”.

“I wanted the proposal to be special and to take him totally off guard, and I think I achieved that,” Mr Johnston said after.

“Being on stage, especially in panto, is what Lee was born to do. He loves it so much, which is why I decided to do it there.

“When I first met him, I was in awe of him being an actor and being on stage.

“We both love panto and Christmas – it’s our favourite time of the year, so it just made sense.”

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Mr Samuel is currently playing Boabby Blumenthal in the Beacon Arts Centre’s production of Beauty and the Beast.

It is his ninth consecutive year appearing in the Inverclyde venue’s annual panto.

This year he’s starring alongside Still Game actors Jane McCarry and Mark Cox, as well as River City’s Jimmy Chisholm.

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Mr Samuel’s fellow castmates and behind-the-scenes staff helped plan the proposal.

Lisa McRuvie, marketing manager at Beacon Arts Centre, said: “We were absolutely thrilled to help Lee organise the perfect proposal for our amazing panto cast member Lee Samuel.

“It was a magical moment for all involved and we are over the moon for the happy couple.

“Everyone at Beacon Arts Centre wishes them well for the future.”

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