Valentine’s special: Romantic broadcast moments

As Hugh Grant famously recited, love actually is all around – and on live television. From fairytale-esque royal weddings and surprise proposals to less romantic moments such as being caught cheating – or admitting to it – on camera, live TV has a knack for capturing both the highs and lows of being in love.

In (belated) honour of Valentine’s Day, here are our top on-air, romance-filled moments of recent history:

Super Bowl wedding

If you were one of the 128.2 million viewers who tuned in for Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl LX halftime show, you might remember witnessing a wedding – one of the performance’s many manifestations of joy and togetherness. This ceremony wasn’t staged; the couple – who’d initially invited Bad Bunny to their wedding – actually got married mid-show and were serenaded by Lady Gaga’s salsa rendition of Die with a Smile.

Unable to RSVP ‘yes’ to their original invitation, Bad Bunny suggested they marry during the Super Bowl instead. He even served as their witness and signed their marriage certificate.

Kieran Culkin’s Oscars speech

When Kieran Culkin won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in 2025, he recounted a conversation between him and his wife: “About a year ago I was on a stage like this and I very stupidly, publicly said that I want a third kid from her because she said if I won the award, she would give me the kid,” he said. “It turns out she said that because she didn’t think I was gonna win.”

Later, he continued, “she turned to me – I swear to God this happened, it was just over a year ago – she said, ‘I will give you four when you win an Oscar.’ No pressure. I love you. I’m really sorry I did this again. And let’s get cracking on those kids.” The couple welcomed their third child in autumn 2025.

Olympian’s admission

Some athletes use their platform for grand gestures of affection; rarely do they use it to clear their conscience. Norway’s Sturla Holm Lægreid, who won bronze in the biathlon during this year’s Winter Olympics, admitted to cheating on his ex-girlfriend during a live TV interview.

After accepting his medal, he said, “There’s someone I wanted to share it with who might not be watching today. Six months ago, I met the love of my life – the most beautiful and kind person in the world. Three months ago, I made my biggest mistake and cheated on her. I told her about it a week ago. It’s been the worst week of my life.

“I don’t quite know what I want to achieve by saying it here now,” he continued. “I hope committing social suicide might show how much I love her. I’m taking the consequences for what I’ve done. I regret it with all my heart.”

While this might not be deemed a ‘romantic moment’ in the traditional sense, it still counts for something.

Love on the local news

A surprise proposal is one thing; it’s another when you’re a local news anchor. While recording a promo video for Chattanooga in 2023, Tennessee’s WRCB station, Cornelia Nicholson realised she was reading her own story off the teleprompter. Her boyfriend, reporter Riley Nagel, walked onto the set and proposed to her with the help of the station’s staffers.

After sharing a clip of the proposal on her X account, Nicholson’s story was picked up by the Today Show, airing on Hoda’s Morning Boost. The pair tied the knot in 2025.

Charles and Diana’s royal day

Though we all know what became of Prince Charles and Lady Di, their royal wedding – televised on 29 July, 1981 – drew 750 million viewers from around the world. Dubbed the ‘wedding of the century’, their special day marked the first royal wedding held in St Paul’s Cathedral since 1501, which allowed room for 3,500 guests.

Broadcast in 74 countries, the ceremony became a global event. UK residents enjoyed the day off, as it was declared a national holiday, while Americans woke up in the wee hours to watch the ‘people’s princess’ say her vows. Though their marriage didn’t last, Charles and Diana’s wedding felt like a fairytale to the common folk.

Honourable mention: #Coldplaygate

While not technically a TV broadcast, #Coldplaygate – referring to the kiss-cam couple who were caught in an affair at a Coldplay concert – was perhaps the internet’s biggest obsession in 2025. After being spotted cozying up on the jumbotron, colleagues Andy Byron and Kristin Cabot jumped apart and hid their faces in horror. The internet did its thing, turning the event into a viral moment (it was even recently parodied in a Pepsi commercial). Inappropriate reactions ensued as people contacted their respective families.

Formerly the CEO of Astronomer, Byron resigned from his position, while Cabot – also no longer with the company – took most of the heat online. She told her version of events to The New York Times; she had already separated from her husband, while Byron was still married. She argued that everyone messes up – but most people aren’t caught on camera. In the era of live streams, smartphones and social media, though, there’s always that risk.