Ryan Lochte is receiving plenty of positive feedback after proposing to his love, Kayla Rae Reid, on Sunday, October 9.
The day after his sweet proposal, the 32-year old Olympian returned to Dancing With the Stars to perform a live rendition of Leon Russell’s “A Song for You” with his partner, Cheryl Burke. He dedicated the emotional number to his mother – who has been supportive throughout her son’s scandal.
The performance received high praise from all three DWTS judges, and when the newly engaged athlete and his partner joined Erin Andrews in the Red Room to receive their results, the season 23 host gave him an on-screen shout-out.
“It must be a flu we have here at Dancing With the Stars,” Andrews said, “because everyone’s apparently getting engaged.”
Andrews joked that she and Burke were hoping to catch the flu soon before the camera panned to Lochte’s engagement announcement on Instagram.
“Not bad, Big Daddy, on that rock,” Andrews said – obviously impressed by Reid’s stunning diamond ring.
“It cost a lot,” Lochte revealed jokingly through clenched teeth.
During the episode, the professional swimmer was referred to as “vulnerable” more than once, as he appears to put his heart and soul into every performance.
But being on-stage is admittedly difficult for the athlete. “With everything that I’ve been through, especially the past two months, showing face in public… everything… it’s so hard,” Lochte admitted. “But I have my family, Cheryl, and my fiancee of course, and everyone around Dancing With the Stars have just been amazing.”
This has certainly been a memorable season for the wildly popular ABC dance competition. Pro pair Emma Slater and Sasha Farber got engaged on-screen back on October 4. After a sultry dance routine, Farber dropped to one knee and asked Slater to be his bride.
Romance is in the air on Dancing With the Stars, airing Mondays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
