Two BYU students recently got engaged, which is hardly unusual. But they did it on “American Idol.”
Contestant Johanna Jones, who’s from Las Vegas, had just finished performing “Wicked Game” on Monday’s (taped) episode of the ABC singing competition when she — and the judges — were surprised by the sudden appearance of her boyfriend, Matt Zavoral, of Sacramento.
“I haven’t been here all week ’cause of exams, but I couldn’t wait another day,” Zavoral said, as Jones looked surprised and judge Katy Perry burst into tears.
He dropped to one knee and pulled out a ring. “Johanna, you’re the love of my life. Will you marry me?”
Zavoral had arranged the surprise with the show’s producers. Jones and the judges didn’t see it coming, but viewers did. In a pre-taped interview, Jones talked about how she wished Zavoral could be there, adding, “I don’t want to get ahead of myself, but I think he’s probably the one. But we don’t need to tell him that quite yet. I don’t know if he knows, but I know.”
There was no mention of BYU on the show, though — if you were listening closely — you might have guessed. When an off-camera producer said to Jones, “You seem like you’re in love,” her response was pure Provo:
“Yeah, I'm pretty dang in love,” she said.
But when the proposal came, the most emotional person on stage was Perry, who jokingly collapsed to her knees and ugly cried, moaning, “I need makeup” and shouting, “Why won’t someone love me like that?”
Perry, 34, recently got engaged to actor Orlando Bloom, 42.
According to Zavoral, he took six exams the day before the episode was recorded and had driven 11 hours from Provo to Los Angeles that morning.
“Matt is the most amazing man I ever met,” Jones said. No matter what happens, I’m going to go home smiling tonight.”
She had two reasons to be happy. Not only did she get engaged, but she advanced to the next round of the “American Idol” competition, which continues 7 p.m. Sunday on ABC/Channel 4.
