The Proposal might be on the way to becoming America’s favorite guilty pleasure, but so far the concept is helping people find love.
The ABC reality competition series premiere Monday at 10 p.m. ET, from the minds behind The Bachelor franchise and host by former Bachelor and NFL star Jesse Palmer.
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The series revolves around a bachelor or bachelorette who is hidden from view while being introduced to 10 people vying for their love. According to PEOPLE, daters are eliminated each round until the highly anticipated reveal, in which the final two meet the mystery lead for the first time and then, theoretically, propose after only knowing each other for an hour.
On the premiere, fans were introduced to Mike Rowe, a police officer from Bakersfield, California. At the end of the episode, Rowe surprised viewers and himself by getting down on one knee and proposing to contestant Monica Villalobos.
“I never thought that I would find love, but after hearing what you guys had to say, I feel like I have,” he told the women before proposing to Monica. “From the first time you stepped out on the stage, you were absolutely amazing. So, as weird as this sounds, will you marry me?”
Now that the episode has aired, PEOPLE revealed Royce and Villalobos are still together… and still engaged.
Congrats to Mike and Monica! And, for those wondering…they are still a couple! Excited for them to explore life after #TheProposal. pic.twitter.com/qog4gdXby3
โ The Proposal (@TheProposalTV) June 19, 2018
The couple recorded a video for the series’ official Twitter account.
Mike and Monica even recorded a short video for us to let us know how they’re doing! It may have been unconventional, but we hope #TheProposal was just the beginning of their love story. pic.twitter.com/XSRP8bvXsu
โ The Proposal (@TheProposalTV) June 19, 2018
“Hey guys,” said Mike. “Never thought anything like this would happen in a million years, never thought I’d be on television, never thought I’d get down on one knee and propose to somebody in under an hour โ but it happened and I got to meet this beautiful gal. We’ve been having a good time and we’re excited for what the future has in store for us.”
The pair also hosted a Facebook Live event in which they revealed why they decided to give the new show a try. Villalobos said she decided to sign up on a whim, while Royce said he was approached by producers.
“I’m really glad that I did it,” Villalobos revealed. “It’s kind of crazy, but it works!”
“I jumped on board and ended up finding somebody really special,” Royce added. “I thought it was just absolutely awesome, and it worked out in the end.”
Many viewers were shocked the first episode ended in an actual engagement, after Palmer revealed the show can end with more than one possible “romantic proposal.”
“It could literally run the gamut. You can have a sexy night in the fantasy suite You could have a full-blown down on one knee, open a ring box kind of thing,” Palmer explained to E! News. “It’s completely up to the two finalists proposing to the mystery man or woman that’s not revealed to them at the very end.”
The Proposal airs Mondays at 10 p.m. ET on ABC.