‘I CAN’T WAIT FOR MY WEDDING... BUT I WON’T BE SINGING!’
After proposing to his partner on The Voice stage, Mick reveals their plans for the big day
Getting down on one knee on live TV seems a daunting notion, but for Mick Harrington, there was simply no other way to propose to his partner of six years, Bec Lade.
“I knew if I’d told her in advance she’d have just said no. She’s pretty reserved and doesn’t like the spotlight,” the 32-year-old tells Woman’s Day.
“She’s also pretty switched on so I knew I had to do something that would surprise her and surprise her I did – she had no idea it was coming!”
The Victorian gardener shocked superstar coaches Keith Urban, Jessica Mauboy, Rita Ora and Guy Sebastian when, after turning all four chairs with his stirring rendition of Somewhere Over The Rainbow, he brought Bec and their two daughters, Bella, four, and 18-month-old Katie, onto the stage before popping the question.
And even if none of the red chairs had turned for him, Mick says he was “always going to do it”.
“Bec is the most important person in my life and I’m doing this for my family, they’ve always come first – and this confirmed that,” he says.
HAPPY REUNION
Mick and Bec met in high school, and while they weren’t exactly friends during their studies, the pair “reconnected” when they both attended their 10-year reunion.
And it’s been Bec who has supported Mick as he’s pursued his “passion” of music, while simultaneously supporting his family through his business.
“She’s always been supportive of me," he says. “I’m sure she doesn’t want to be famous but she’s always let me do my thing and I’m so grateful to her.”
With his proposal seeped in the glitz and glamour of TV and witnessed by some of the biggest names in the music industry, Mick says he wants his big day to be a little more... relaxed.
“We just want something really simple. We’ll have it out in the countryside, perhaps in an old shearing shed or old pavilion with simple food, great beer and wine and enjoy some amazing music with our closest friends and family,” he reveals.
And even though he admits he “loves to sing to Bec”, he says he’ll be hanging up his microphone for the day and will let some artists he’s met through The Voice handle the entertainment.
“I’d love to have Janaki Easwar [the youngest artist this year] perform,” he enthuses. “I’d get her to sing Bec down the aisle. She’s 12 and has the sweetest, most beautiful voice you can imagine.
“And of course, to get Jess [Mauboy] to perform would be amazing. No question. She’s an amazing artist and an even better human so I’d love her to be a part of our big day.”
He just has one song request... “I’d love them to do one of my own songs, Young Boy – it’s about being with Bec and having our first child together,” he says. “It’ll be a pretty magical moment to hear that song while having my first dance with Bec.”