Lucy Spraggan is engaged! Former X Factor star confirms she will marry her partner Emilia Smith after ten-year friendship: ‘I am so thankful that the universe gave me you’

Lucy Spraggan has confirmed her engagement to partner and best friend of 10 years Emilia Smith, with the couple getting married in June.

The former X Factor star, 32, who took part in the talent show in 2012, took to Instagram on Sunday to share the happy news in a post about her bride-to-be.

The couple announced in January that they had fallen for each other and both shared 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 is the reaction we have heard most in recent weeks when Emilia and I told our people that we are getting married in June.

“That’s a sentence that I thought I understood my whole life, that I thought I had full appreciation for, but… It wasn’t until I fell in love with my boyfriend of ten years that I really felt it.”

Lucy opened up about her and Emilia’s friendship over the years, and what made her realize her feelings went beyond platonic.

The singer-songwriter wrote, “@emiliakate_ who has literally been there the whole time.

‘Em, who spent hours on the phone with me on my darkest days, who always sent a card in the post to encourage me, who sent me 48 Tunnocks Tea Cakes when I felt down while I was writing my book , knowing that they were the emotional support food that got me through the edit.

‘Em, who spoke the same language as me. Those feelings felt at the same depth as I have always felt them. Who I always understood, really understood, and who always understood me.

‘The person I took long walks with and spent whole days at the spa talking about anything and everything. Who always made me feel completely seen and heard.’

Lucy continued, “I’m so grateful that the universe gave me you, Emilia. I was deeply grateful when you were just my friend and I can’t describe the gratitude I have to experience your love in a different way.

“Every part of life has had to happen to be able to stand next to you now and I honestly wouldn’t want to live any other alternative even if I could. People say, “I don’t know what I did to deserve you,” but I’ve told you before that I think everything I’ve ever done has led me to you. You were the prize.

“All the hard work and all the surviving got us both where we needed to be: thriving side by side. You are without a doubt the hottest, coolest, talented, hardworking, kind and spiritual soul I have ever encountered and it is the world’s greatest privilege to be with you.

‘I hope you know how much I have always admired you. I can’t wait to get started as a team. I can’t think of a better way to start a marriage than first ten years of friendship. I really know now. Let’s go, girl .’

Lucy took part in the 2012 series of The X Factor but was forced to withdraw from the competition after being raped in her hotel room.

She has admitted that after the attack she felt like a “company problem” and that she felt completely devoid of self-esteem.

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 of people on TV and online.

But the singer-songwriter abruptly left the show after week three when she was raped by doorman Soby Jon – who later pleaded guilty to the attack and was jailed.

When Lucy left the show it was reported that she had been ill.

In an interview on Elizabeth Day’s How To Fail podcast, Lucy said the aftercare she received from the show’s production company Freemantle and ITV ‘deflated every ounce of self-esteem I had left’.

Breaking down in tears, she added: “What makes me sad about that is how disappointed I was. I just feel sorry for myself. I wish I could have marched in and said, “Don’t worry, we’ll take you somewhere, you don’t have to worry about anything.”

‘There was, and I think still is, a huge failure in the duty of care owed to me, not only for my physical self, but also for my mental self.’

‘After the live final of X Factor 2012 I was no longer contacted by ITV, by Freemantle or by Syco. I was not offered ongoing mental health care, I was not offered work. I was not offered a secondary platform where I could get my little rowboat going and start my life and career over. Even more important is my life, because it has destroyed it.”

The attack happened after fellow contestant Rylan Clark’s 25th birthday party, where staff and singers were given ‘free alcohol’, eventually leading to Lucy falling unconscious in her hotel room.

Some time later, Rylan arrived back at the hotel and checked in with his fellow contestant.

When he left, he made sure the door was locked, meaning the The doorman then had to use a traceable key card to enter the room and commit the rape, she explained.

The next day Lucy woke up and immediately knew something was wrong.

The brutal attack left her unable to continue the show due to the strong side effects of Pep medication – a drug given to her by doctors that can prevent someone from contracting HIV.

Yet Lucy has revealed that a glimmer of light came when she was finally offered responsibility by Simon Cowell, who called her after writing to ITV and Freemantle in 2020 following the death of Caroline Flack.