Casey Donovan announces engagement to longtime partner Renee Sharples: 'I said yes!'

By Savanna Young For Daily Mail Australia 04:22 28 Jun 2024, updated 05:06 28 Jun 2024

Casey Donovan has announced her engagement to Renee Sharples after four years together.

The Australian singer, 36, revealed the happy news in an Instagram post shared on Friday.

Showing off her massive diamond ring, the theatre star cuddled up to her girlfriend as she shared in the caption the wholesome moment Renee got down on bended knee.

'21.06.24 on the strawberry moon of the winter solstice the love of my life asked me if I wanted to do this life together forever,' Casey wrote.

'"The day I met you, home was no longer a place it became a person and yes, you are a gypsy but there's nobody else I would rather attach my wagon to on this beautiful road trip called life" and with that, I said yes!'

Her post was met with warm wishes of congratulations by her famous friends and fans.

'Amazing, how bloody wonderful! Xx,' Em Rusciano commented.

'Congratulations gorgeous,' Ricki-Lee Coulter added.

Casey, who rose to fame at the age of 16 after winning Australian Idol in 2004, sparked rumours she was secretly engaged to girlfriend Renee back in September 2021 - one year after finding love during Victoria's Covid lockdown.

She sent the rumour mill ablaze after she uploaded an Instagram video of herself performing a cover of Stand By Me to promote R U OK? Day.

As Casey strummed a guitar, fans couldn't help but spy a huge diamond ring on her finger, leading some to question whether a wedding was on the cards.

Casey met Renee, a lecturer in paramedicine, on dating app Bumble and the pair set up video dates on Zoom during Covid lockdown in 2020.

'I was nervous and excited to make a connection with Renee, and when we finally connected her banter was great and she seemed very lovely,' Casey told Woman's Day.

'When I logged into our first Zoom date and saw that Renee had set it up in a café, it was so sweet... [It was] even better when she asked me what kind of coffee I wanted,' she added.

Renee admitted that she recognised Casey from Australian Idol but 'didn't have any preconceived ideas about who she was'.

'We didn't really see this in our near future; it was very unexpected. But we're having the best time doing life together and I could not be happier,' she said.

Casey has previously spoken about being unlucky in love.

She was the victim of a bizarre catfishing hoax for six years, which was orchestrated by a female friend, Olga.

Olga had deceived Casey by posing online as a man named 'Campbell'.

Speaking to The Daily Telegraph in 2016, Casey confessed that she'd become a sex addict in a bid to escape the hurt of her past.

'It was more or less to get away from the situation I was in and it is such a confidence booster,' she said of her frequent sexual liaisons with strangers.

She continued: 'When you're emotionally disconnected from the situation, it can get really dangerous because you burn and churn.'