JOCKEY Hollie Doyle has admitted she 'cringed' when fiance and fellow rider Tom Marquand proposed.
And the superstar female jockey – who finished third in the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award – says the wedding is 'not something that's at the front of my mind'.
Doyle, 24, said yes to long-term boyfriend Marquand, 22, on New Year's Eve after being together for around ten years.
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The pair posted swimsuit selfies showing off her ring to mark the occasion.
The photo looked an idyllic scene amid the surge of coronavirus cases and lockdown at home.
But now Doyle, who admits she is not at all romantic while Tom is, has spoken of how awkward she felt when her fella got down on one knee.
She told the Her Spirit Podcast: "I don't know why but I found it a huge shock.
"It was nice – a good way to cap off a good year.
"I didn't expect it at all. We were just on the beach, the sun was going down, he got down on one knee and I was like, 'oh God, what are you doing?'
"I'm not at all romantic, he would be.
"I was cringing a bit but it was lovely, honestly, it was great.
"I just feel so young still, mentally I feel about 12.
"I hope everyone else feels like that and it's not just me… but it's good."
With normal life on hold due to the pandemic, weddings and get togethers of any kind will have to wait.
And with the flat racing season set to kick off in earnest soon, Doyle, who also has family in Ireland, says she is not thinking about the wedding at all right now.
She said: "It sounds bad but it's not something that's at the front of my mind at the moment.
"I wouldn't know where to start with planning a wedding and we'll have to see what happens."
Doyle also opened up on her SPOTY nomination and being thrust into the national spotlight.
She said she was honoured to be nominated for the award but felt it was a 'little bit of shame' that she felt she got put forward because she is a woman in a male-dominated industry.
Doyle said: "I know other jockeys around me have achieved a lot more and probably deserve to be nominated for something like that over me.
"I found it a little bit of a shame that the only reason I was probably nominated was because I was a girl.
"Because what I have achieved in our industry being a female is unique.
"I found that a little bit of a shame that people probably thought the only reason I was nominated was because of that.
"But I took it all in and it was incredible really.
"I do realise what I achieved was pretty significant and I appreciate that. There's a lot more I want to do to top that."
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