Actor Johnny Ward announces he’s engaged

“Delighted to finally announce that my best friend said ‘yes’,” the star revealed on social media today.

“I am getting married July 2023. Thank you for making me the happiest man in the world. Love you more than anything @brmbrenda.”

Johnny first sprung to fame on Love/Hate as Pauley, and later as kidnapper Ciaran Holloway on Fair City and will shortly reprise his role in the stage show Copper Face Jacks The Musical.

He appeared on Dancing With The Stars in 2018.

The 35-year-old had been in a long-term relationship for six years with Rachael Treacy, and then found love on Dancing With The Stars with pro dancer Emily Barker.

Johnny’s father died after a long battle with cancer the day before actor was due to perform in the ninth live show. Ward was given the option to have a week off from the competition and return in Week 10 but he chose to perform in honour of his father.

Emily and Johnny broke up several months after the show, Emily is now seeing Englishman Olly Ashton.

Johnny has been dating Brenda since February last year, having met her in the Curragh while out exercising and was worried if she was in difficulty.

"I saw this blonde girl in the distance and she fell over so I checked to see if she was okay,” the actor, from Walkinstown, Dublin, told RSVP recently.

"We walked the same direction afterwards and it was almost like the way panto characters would meet, a chance encounter for the prince and princess.

"We got chatting on Instagram a couple of days after and we did the walk again."

Brenda runs a salon in Dunlavin, Co Wicklow and her family are big Fair City fans.

Dozens of wellwishers offered Johnny their congratulations.

Among them was fellow Fair City actor Rodrigo Ternevoy, who played Christiano, wrote: “Huge congratulations guys.”

Panto star Rob Murphy (Buffy) raved: Woohho congratulations, delighted for you both.”

Another panto star, Joe Conlan, who has performed with Johnny in the Gaiety Theatre, raved “Congratulations my friend”.