Paul Young announces engagement five years on from losing wife Stacey to cancer

03 October 2023 , 19:51

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Paul Young with partner Lorna

Paul Young has shared the happy news he is engaged to be married, almost six years on from losing his beloved wife to cancer.

The 1980s music idol, 67, took to Instagram on Monday to announce the engagement with a sweet selfie of him with girlfriend Lorna.

"Lorna said Yes!" he captioned the photo, before adding an emoji of an engagement ring. "We are both so happy and both looking forward to a wonderful future together." Paul's first wife, Stacey Smith, died in January 2018 after being diagnosed with brain cancer two years prior.

Lorna, who has been referring to Paul as her “hubby-to-be” since 2021 and shares three pet cats and a snake with the star, also took to social media to confirm the news. “‘My world, my love, my everything, 5 years of joy, I could not love anyone more," she captioned a photo of the pair. She is so happy since the proposal, she has changed her bio on social media to: “Engaged to Paul Young and living my best life.”

Paul with his late wife Stacey Smith

Paul’s late wife Stacey appeared in the video for his 1983 hit Come Back And Stay in 1983. The couple tied the knot in a romantic ceremony in 1987 and shared three children together, Levi, 36, Layla, 29, and son Grady Cole, 27.

The couple had split in 2006, but rekindled their relationship in 2013. Stacey had welcomed her fourth child Jude, 12, with Israeli businessman Ilan Slazenger during their time apart, and Paul became his stepdad when they reunited. It's understood that Paul has been in a relationship with Lorna since 2021, and even experienced some of the COVID-19 lockdown with her.

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"I was in lockdown at my girlfriend’s place," he told Metro in 2022. "I like walking and I love nature so once we were allowed out for a walk, I relished that. And cracking open a bottle a couple of hours earlier than you normally would is quite nice."

Ashleigh Rainbird