While ABC has long been the home of “The Bachelor,” “Dancing With the Stars” may actually be its most successful matchmaking series.
On Friday, Season 31 contestant Daniel Durant (CODA) and his pro partner Britt Stewart announced they are engaged. Durant and Stewart shared the details of the proposal exclusively with PEOPLE, describing a Christmas Day engagement in Lake Arrowhead, California.
Britt Stewart and Daniel Durant.
Kevin Winter/Getty Images
Durant asked Stewart to marry him while the two were on a hike with their families, including Stewart's mother and stepfather Jasmin and Lonnie Speed, as well as Durant's mothers Lori Durant and Mary Engels. At the top of the mountain, family members shared what they were most looking forward to in the new year.
“I was the last one — and I started talking about the year, about our meeting and everything that's going on in life,” Durant told PEOPLE, admitting, “I just feel like there's a balance. She sees me. She knows my culture, my language and understands everything about me.
“We were both emotional, overwhelmed with joy and at peace knowing that this would eventually be part of our story,” Stewart added. “It felt like magic, but at the same time it felt right and normal.”
Daniel Durant and Britt Stewart on “Dancing With the Stars.”
ABC
The couple met on season 31 of DWTS and appeared as celebrity contestants and professional dancers in fall 2022. They ultimately took fifth place in the semi-finals and narrowly missed out on a place in the season finale.
Durant and Stewart both emphasized that their romance only began after their journey together on the show ended – in part because they were so focused on the competition. “I'm a really competitive person, I wanted to win this thing and I saw that in her and we trained,” Durant said.
Stewart made the decision to learn American Sign Language (ASL) when she knew Durant would be her partner. “When I met him and found out he was my partner on Dancing With the Stars, I immediately thought, I have to learn ASL because I'm teaching him to dance,” she noted. “I will not use his interpreter.”
That commitment helped the two forge a connection that first became clear to them during the eighth week of the competition, when they performed a jazz routine to Depeche Mode's “Enjoy the Silence.” A significant portion of the dance was performed without music to give the audience a glimpse into Durant's experiences as a deaf artist.
Britt Stewart and Daniel Durant.
ABC
“For me, it was the moment when our lives showed each other,” Stewart said. “I really got to see him and his experiences on Dancing With the Stars, but also just a small part of his life.”
When the two were eliminated from the competition, Durant realized he couldn't imagine life without Stewart. “I think in that moment we realized how we felt about each other,” he explained. “It was more than just friends and of course we connected and started dating after that.”
The two publicly confirmed their relationship on Valentine's Day 2023. Durant is an actor known for Best Picture winner CODA and his role in the Deaf West revival of Spring Awakening.
Stewart began her time on DWTS as a group member in Season 23. In Season 29, she became the first Black professional dancer on the show. Last season, she was paired with former NFL player Adrian Peterson.
“It’s funny, I remember our meeting,” Stewart concludes. “I remember us as teammates. I remember us as best friends, and then I remember us together. And now it feels like we’ve been together forever.”
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