BBC Dragons’ Den star Steven Bartlett reveals surprise Christmas Day proposal during romantic getaway

A spokesperson for the couple confirmed the news, saying: “We can confirm Steven and Melanie are engaged to be married. They are, naturally, both very, very happy.”

The Diary of a CEO host, whose business empire is reportedly valued at £320million, and Ms Lopes, also 33, have largely kept their relationship out of the public eye, despite both having careers closely linked to social media platforms.

The couple first began dating in 2016 after connecting on Instagram, though their journey to engagement was not without challenges.

After a year together, they split when Mr Bartlett chose to focus on expanding his business ventures. The separation proved short-lived, however, after he realised he could not be without Ms Lopes and boarded a 22-hour flight to Bali to win her back.

At the time, Ms Lopes was running a breathwork and yoga retreat on the Indonesian island, where the pair ultimately reconciled.

Since reuniting, their relationship has gone from strength to strength, with those close to the couple saying their bond has deepened significantly.

Despite Mr Bartlett’s high public profile, the couple have made a conscious decision to keep their romance largely private, shielding it from public scrutiny.

In recent years, they have split their time between homes in London and Los Angeles as they balance their respective professional commitments.

Sources close to the couple say this period marked a turning point in their relationship.

“Steven and Melanie have been together for a long time, but their relationship really went up a notch after they started living together in both London and Los Angeles a couple of years ago,” an insider said.

Friends have described the pair as “soulmates” who are now excitedly planning their wedding celebrations.

Mr Bartlett has previously spoken candidly about the strain his intense work ethic placed on their relationship in its early stages.

Speaking during a live podcast recording in 2022, he said: “The way it is with me, between the hours of say seven in the morning and nine o’clock at night, I am in the zone, I’ve got total tunnel vision.”

He admitted that replying meaningfully to messages from family or his girlfriend during the working day was “virtually impossible”.

Evenings, he said, offered little respite. “In the evenings I’m often consumed with the day and I find it hard to switch off and engage with other relationships and that also costs those relationships,” he explained.

Since then, Mr Bartlett has said he has learned to strike a healthier balance between work and personal life, a shift that appears to have strengthened his relationship with Ms Lopes.

Mr Bartlett’s fortune stems largely from his early success with social media marketing agency The Social Chain, which reached a £300million valuation when it floated on the stock market.

Born in Botswana, he moved to the UK at the age of two and left university at 18 to pursue entrepreneurship, a decision that initially caused tension with his parents.

His mother was reportedly “heartbroken” at the time, believing her son had turned his back on educational opportunities she never had.

Alongside his business interests, Mr Bartlett hosts one of the world’s most popular podcasts, having interviewed figures including Kamala Harris and Simon Cowell since launching The Diary of a CEO in 2017.

With wedding plans now underway, the year ahead is set to be a busy one, as Mr Bartlett prepares to return to Dragons’ Den as the BBC show’s youngest investor.