Liam Payne's ex-girlfriend announces engagement just months after One Direction star's death

Sophia Smith, the ex-girlfriend of Liam Payne, is now engaged. The social media influencer took to Instagram to share the heartwarming moment her beau James Bridgwood proposed during the festive season.

Sophia, who's 30 and went out with Liam from 2013 until October 2015 after first crossing paths at St. Peter's Collegiate School in Wolverhampton, has a history with the late singer.

Liam, who sadly passed away last October at the age of 31, had persistently asked Sophia out more than 20 times before she finally said yes. In an intimate video posted online, James can be seen getting down on one knee in a room adorned with rose petals and champagne, while they were both in their PJs and with their daughter Angelina Grace, born in April 2023, playing nearby.

READ MORE - 'I was told my baby died in a fire but I spotted her at a birthday party six years later'

READ MORE - A sneak peek at Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's solitary Christmas as 'royal snub confirmed'

Sophia captioned the touching video, which was set to Dan Berk's acoustic version of "Anyone": "Yes a million times over. 25.12.24," along with a red heart emoji. The clip shows a visibly moved Sophia admiring her new ring as little Angelina seems happily oblivious, asking her parents to play with her dolls.

Sophia, who has stayed close with Liam's former bandmates, family, and friends, received a flood of congratulatory messages. Lottie Tomlinson commented: "Congratulations," with tears and pink hearts emojis, while Lou Teasdale wrote: "Aw Soph," followed by a red heart, reports the Mirror.

Reality TV star Maura Higgins chimed in with: "Congratulations."

Sophia Smith has announced her engagement to her boyfriend James Bridgwood.
(Image: Instagram)





Liam and Sophia in 2015.
(Image: Getty Images)

Fans flocked to offer their congratulations to the pair, with one writing: "Omggggggggg. Congratulations! ! ! ! ! ! ! ", while another said "Favourites forever can't stop watching this video," A third chimed in with "Yayyyyy! So happy for you both! Congratulations."

The couple had been together for several years and were even rumoured to be discussing marriage plans before they split nearly a decade ago. At the time, Liam said he was "absolutely devastated" by the break-up, telling The Sun on Sunday: "In order to do right by somebody, sometimes it's better not to do what your heart wants, but to do what's better for them."

He also revealed to Attitude Magazine that they had talked about marriage, but decided it was too soon.

Sophia had been supportive of Liam throughout his One Direction days, even attending their final concert tour together. The news of Sophia's engagement comes just three months after the sad passing of Liam, who fell from the third floor of a hotel at just 31.

An autopsy confirmed that Liam died instantly due to "multiple traumatic injuries" and "internal and external haemorrhage."

Join the Irish Mirror’s breaking news service on WhatsApp. Click this link to receive breaking news and the latest headlines direct to your phone. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.