#News Reporter Realizes Boyfriend is Proposing During Live Segment

A weekend anchor in Chattanooga, Tennessee, did a cold read of a special report on live TV — without realizing she was walking right into her own engagement.

Reporter Riley Nagel coordinated with staffers at WRCB, where he worked with Cornelia Nicholson, to propose to her while she was anchoring.

On Aug. 20, Nicholson posted a clip of the proposal on X (formerly known as Twitter), and it now has almost 300,000 views.

“Coming up right now we have the story of two young journalists who managed to find love in the same industry,” Nicholson reads suspiciously from the teleprompter.

“Local 3’s Riley Nagel joins us in studio with a special report?” she questioned.

Nagel then walks onto the set and everything becomes clear to her.

“That’s right, Cornelia, I do have a very special report,” he says with flowers and a ring box in hand. “Cornelia Nicholson … would you marry me?”

Nicholson then nods her head and manages to get out, “I’m going to cry,” before saying yes, holding out her hand so Nagel could put the ring on her finger.

In Nicholson’s post on X, she wrote, “The love of my life proposed to me on tv ,” adding that she’s “still in shock.”

“This was the most perfect day,” she wrote. “Thank you to all my friends/coworkers who helped hide this from me and make it happen! @Local3News.”

The moment was also Hoda’s Morning Boost on TODAY Aug. 22.

After the clip played on live TV, the TODAY team reacted to the proposal.

“Aw, that’s so sweet,” Sheinelle Jones said.

“That takes guts,” Dylan Dreyer added, and Craig Melvin agreed saying, “Oh, yes it does.”

“That was really special,” Sheinelle added. “Congratulations.”