When professional skater and Dancing On Ice favourite Vanessa Bauer flew out to Canada for six weeks of filming and training recently, she knew to expect snow and sub-zero temperatures. But she certainly didn’t predict the magical moment that would see her return to the UK with a glittering diamond ring on her finger.
That’s exactly what happened after Vanessa’s football agent boyfriend James Rowe popped the question in the heart of the Canadian Rockies on 2 December.
Sharing their happy news with OK! just before Christmas, the thrilled couple reveal how James got down on one knee at Vermilion Lakes in Banff.
“It was such a dream,” Vanessa, 29, tells us. “I’ve wanted to skate on the frozen lakes my whole life, so it was just the perfect place to get engaged.”
The proposal was especially romantic as the couple witnessed a stunning, vivid orange sunset while on the ice. “It was crazy, because we went through a snowstorm as we drove there,” explains Vanessa. “There was no hint it would be a nice evening, but the skies just opened up to give us the only sunset of the entire six-week trip.”
After losing her beloved dad Marco in 2021 following a seven-year battle with cancer, Vanessa felt his presence in that special moment. “It was like a blessing from nature, and there must have been something behind it. It made it even more precious.”
Although she accepted James’s proposal without hesitation, she tells us, “I felt he was so far away when he was on his knees. I just wanted to hug him, so I was like, ‘Yes, of course I’m going to marry you. Now come up here and give me a hug!’”
Former professional footballer James, 34, admits the experience was equally emotional for him. “I definitely had tears in my eyes,” he says. “I wouldn’t say I was relieved when she said yes, because I didn’t think there’d be a different answer. But I was extremely happy. I was so nervous beforehand and was probably over-singing in the car on the way there, which might have given it away slightly.”
In fact, James worked hard for months to keep the proposal secret. “We went to Lapland a year ago and I knew then that I wanted to marry Vanessa,” he says. “I started planning it on the flight home. After that, I had to keep deleting things about the engagement from my phone. I had to keep my tracks clean for a long time.”
The ring he chose for his bride-to-be was a cushion cut, old mine diamond with a gold band. “I don’t know how he knew that’s what I would want, but I was so impressed,” Vanessa says. “I’m really happy with it, and it fit perfectly as well.”
The pair spent the evening of their engagement at the plush Fairmont Chateau at Lake Louise – another part of the surprise. “I had no idea,” Vanessa says. “But to have just one night at the most beautiful lake in the world was another dream. We also did a night skate there, which was just incredible.”
After learning to skate in recent months so he could join her on the ice, James was able to put his skills to the test. “She has been the best teacher and now I love it too,” he says.
As the engagement sank in, they both called their loved ones to share the news. “Everybody was delighted,” says James. “But they all know how much I love Vanessa, so no one was that surprised.”
The couple first met in September 2024 after James messaged her on social media. “He DMed me on Instagram – the classic,” she jokes. After hitting it off on their first date in London, they were instantly inseparable.
“We really never left each other’s side,” says Vanessa. “There was never any question about whether we’d see each other again. I just loved the way James was so emotionally available and intelligent, and the fact he made me laugh all the time.”
Now living together in Hertfordshire, they hope to tie the knot in around a year’s time. “We don’t want our engagement to be a very long one,” says Vanessa. “But at this point in our careers it’s about trying to find a balance with the planning, and seeing what’s possible.”
Although you might imagine them hosting a skate-themed wedding in a cold climate, that’s highly unlikely. “I’d prefer us to marry in a tropical country,” says Vanessa. “I’d like to wear a dress where you can see my skin and where we won’t feel freezing.
“Bali would be amazing and half my family is from Indonesia, but because we want to have as many loved ones and friends there as possible, I’m not sure whether that would work. But I think it’d be beautiful to honour those roots and get married in a country that both James and I love.”
She has already begun scouring social media for wedding inspiration, saying, “I know I want a classical, elegant dress, and less is definitely more for me.”
When it comes to the guest list, Vanessa hopes many of her Dancing On Ice pals will attend, including judges Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean. “I’m still in touch with lots of them, and every single day someone’s writing in the group chat.”
While the devastating death of her dad four years ago means there will be a huge void in proceedings on the big day, Vanessa says she hasn’t yet considered who might walk her down the aisle.
“Maybe I’ll do it myself. Or maybe it’ll be my little brother,” she says. But she’s in no doubt that Marco would have been delighted to see her settle down. “He would have been so happy, and he would have got on so well with James,” she reflects.
“In the years before my dad passed, he filmed skating content for me and he would have loved being on the lakes having those adventures with me.”
With his memory still inspiring her daily, she adds, “Since losing him, I’ve been determined to keep living life to its fullest, and to get out there and explore the outdoors and do crazy things. Because obviously he can’t do that any more.”
At home, Vanessa and James swear by eating healthily and they rarely drink, while their ideal date night is a tad unusual. “It probably sounds crazy, but we’d hit the gym, come home to cook and put a film on,” says James. “And our plates would be 90% vegetables.”
They hope to start a family in the not-too-distant future, but as Vanessa says, “We’re not putting any pressure on ourselves for that. We definitely do want children together, but it’s just a matter of when will be a sensible time to do it.”
Before then, they are both excited that this could be the year they become Mr and Mrs. “It’s going to mean so much to me to marry the love of my life,” James says. “Vanessa is an incredible person and she makes me so proud. Every day I’m with her, she just makes me a better person.”