Because his future father-in-law, Silvio, battles with English, it took Vermeiren three phone calls and an e-mail to finally get the answer he wanted.

The hunky television star popped the question to 24-year-old model Juliana Vasconcelos on Table Mountain on Christmas day. The couple, who have been together for three years, are now planning a wedding for early next year.

Vermeiren said it had taken him months to come up with the right plan and opportunity - and he battled to get "permission" from her father.

"I must have made three phone calls to him and we could not understand each other, until I decided to send him an e-mail because I was running out of time," Vermeiren said.

He sent the e-mail on Christmas eve and received an answer at 1am on Christmas day. The couple first "met" on Facebook three years ago when Vasconcelos had just moved to SA on a six-month modelling contract and was looking for accommodation in Cape Town. "She sent me a friend request and I thought I can't deny this hot babe my friendship," he said.

A few months later, she ditched a three-month modelling job in Hong Kong because she could no longer handle being away from her man. "I ran away and my agent was very angry, but I did not care, I was in love and I could not handle being away from Janez anymore. He is a very special person," she said.