- Cornelia Nicholson was anchoring live on-air when her boyfriend suddenly walked onto the set.
- Boyfriend Riley Nagel, who works at her station, came with a bouquet of flowers and proposed to her.
A news anchor was shocked when her newscaster boyfriend proposed to her on-air — and the internet is obsessed and endeared with the interaction, which has already been viewed over 4.5 million times since it was posted to TikTok on Monday.
In the video, shot on set at the Tennessee NBC affiliate WRCB and shared by the soon-to-be bride herself, Cornelia Nicholson is seen beginning to announce a news item when she suddenly realized it was about her.
@ceraynicholson Still at a loss for words @Riley Nagel hid this so well. I am so excited for our future together #shesafiance #proposalvideo #engagement #news #chattanooga #localnews #love #wedding #surpriseproposal ♬ original sound - Ceray Nicholson
"And coming up right now, we have the story of two young journalists who just so happened to find love in the industry," she read as photos of Nicholson and her boyfriend (now fiance) appeared on the screen. Sentimental music also began playing in the background.
"Local 3's Riley Nagel joins us in the studio with a special report," she said, laughing upon realizing where this was heading.
"And that is right, Cornelia, I do have a very special report," Nagel, who also works at the station, said as he walked into the camera frame wearing a suit and holding a bouquet of flowers. "For people at home who maybe don't know, Cornelia and I met in news back in Montana."
Nagel said they met four years ago and that he was instantly drawn to her. He praised her newscasting skills and said she was "pretty much the main reason" he still worked in the field.
He said it felt fitting to propose to her this way since they met in the industry, and then he knelt on one knee and asked her for her hand in marriage. Nicholson started crying and said yes.
In the description of the video, Nicholson wrote she was still at a loss for words and that Nagel "hid the proposal so well."
"I am so excited for our future together," she added.
In another WRCB broadcast of the proposal shared a day later by the station to YouTube, Nagel joked about how "they don't call me the romance reporter for nothing." He told his colleague on-air that Nicholson may have had some idea that he would propose soon but was completely kept out of his master plan of how he'd do it.
TikTokers are enamored with the couple and the surprising proposal. Numerous commenters made news-related jokes.
"BREAKING NEWS: I'M SOBBING CONGRATS," reads the top comment with 15,000 likes. Many viewers said the sweetness of the proposal made them cry.
"I love how they're keeping their news voices for the proposal," another top commenter noted.
Other people who said they work in the news industry also cheered them on.
"As a producer, I would have been so giddy the whole show waiting on this. Congrats," one person wrote.
Insider has reached out to Nicholson and Nagel for comment.