A relatively uneventful Emmys awards ceremony took a surprising turn when a director decided to propose to his girlfriend on stage.
Glenn Weiss – who won an Emmy for Outstanding Directing for a Variety Special for The Oscars – caused the audience, packed with Hollywood’s finest actors, to erupt into cheers and applause as he made the grand gesture.
After revealing his mother had died two weeks previously, Weiss addressed his partner, Jan Svendsen, saying: “You wonder why I don’t like to call you my girlfriend? Because I want to call you my wife.”
Those in attendance burst into applause, before Weiss said: “I didn’t ask yet!”
Svendsen eventually made it to the stage, where Weiss told her: “This is the ring my dad put on my mum’s finger, 67 years ago. And to my sisters and brothers, I didn’t swipe it, dad knows I have it, OK?”
“I want to put the ring that my mom wore on your finger in front of all these people and in front of my mum and your parents watching from above, will you marry me?”
After a brief moment, followed by a 'yes' from Svendsen, Weiss thanked the academy. The audience gave a standing ovation as the camera panned to crowd members wiping tears from their eyes.
Likewise, people at home were equally emotionally, posting their reactions online.
The 70th Primetime Emmy Awards, co-hosted by Saturday Night Live‘s Colin Jost and Michael Che, were handed out at the Microsoft Theatre in Los Angeles.
Game of Thrones came away as the night’s biggest winner, while the widely acclaimed FX comedy Atlanta went home empty handed.
