Strictly Come Dancing's Natalie Lowe announces engagement

Strictly Come Dancing star Natalie Lowe has got engaged and will soon be waltzing up the aisle.

The Australian dancer said she is 'very excited, happy and proud' to announce her engagement to company director James Knibbs – the man she met by chance on a train two years ago.

In an interview with Hello! magazine, Natalie said: "It was a complete shock.”

Natalie and James met on a train (Hello!)

The couple met on a train between London and Leeds in November 2013.

Natalie had reluctantly pulled out of Strictly that year due to fracturing metatarsals in both feet, so instead of appearing on the show she was on the way to a meeting.

She said she was 'gutted' about pulling out of the show, adding: ”But it turned out to be a blessing in disguise.”

James was on his way back to Leeds, where he lived at the time – and only just made the train because it was delayed by 10 minutes.

Natalie Lowe and her Strictly Come Dancing partner Ainsley Harriott

Natalie is partnered with Ainsley Harriott this in this year’s show (Ian West/PA)

“I have to thank East Coast for being late,” he told the magazine. “Getting that train was the best decision I ever made.”

Wedding plans will be put on hold until after this year’s series, and Natalie said she loves being partnered with Ainsley Harriot.

“He is full of beans,” she said. “He is 58 – the oldest in the competition – but he’s given the young'uns a run for their money.”

The front cover of the latest Hello! magazine