Chantelle and Preston get engaged

The couple hope to tie the knot this year

Celebrity Big Brother winner Chantelle Houghton has announced her engagement to fellow ex-housemate Samuel Preston.

The couple met on the Channel 4 series in January when she was planted as a "fake celebrity" ordered to convince the housemates she was famous.

She said Preston, lead singer with the Ordinary Boys, had given her his mother's ring.

The Essex model, 22, announced the engagement at the New Woman Beauty Awards at London's Dorchester Hotel.

Champagne celebration

"It was as much unexpected for me as it was for him," she said.

"He asked for his mum to send the ring over and he asked me.

"I just want to marry him.

The ring belonged to Preston's mother

"I've had a really long day today but I don't feel tired and I'm just dying to get home to see him."

She said she had already told friends and family: "I rang my mum and everyone and we went to get a bottle of champagne and we celebrated."

She added that she was on "cloud nine" and hoped they would marry later this year. She did not say how the singer had proposed.

The couple's on-screen chemistry was the subject of speculation during the Celebrity Big Brother series - despite the existence of Preston's now ex-girlfriend, Camille Aznar.