Ty Pennington is a very happy man these days. The HGTV star just got engaged to Kellee Merrell, a social media manager. According to PEOPLE, the two originally encountered one another more than a decade ago in 2010.
Fans of home improvement shows will recognize Pennington for his work on the series “Trading Spaces” and “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.” Most recently, the 56-year-old has been working on the shows “Ty Breaker” and “Battle On the Beach.”
His fiance is 33 years old and is originally from Vancouver, Canada. While Ty Pennington was filming a television series in Toronto, Canada, during 2010 he and Merrell first met. While they kept in some contact thanks to their friends, they didn’t get serious until 2020. Like most of the world in 2020, Pennington and Merrell had to quarantine. They chose to do so together. During that time, they grew even closer.
“I have admired Kellee from afar for years. She’s a beautiful person inside and out. Luckily our paths finally crossed at the right time,” Ty Pennington told PEOPLE in an exclusive interview. It’s one of those things where you just feel happy being around a person. I never thought I would get married, but she changed that. Glad I waited for the one.”
The television star shared the news of his engagement on social media on Wednesday, July 28. “It’s the “yes” for me…” he posted to Instagram along with a photo of the stunning engagement ring he gave Kellee Merrell.
Celebrities Friends of Ty Pennington React to the News That He is Engaged to Kellee Merrell
Ty Pennington reportedly asked Merrell to marry him while they were at his home in Palm Coast, Florida. They were having coffee on his dock at the time, according to what a representative for Pennington told PEOPLE. Unsurprisingly, the couple is very happy to be going into the next phase of their lives by each other’s side.
Also, Pennington and Merrell are in the process of updating a new home. It is a 19th-century house they bought in Savannah, Georgia.
It wasn’t just fans of Ty Pennington who reacted to the news that he had asked Kellee Merrell to marry him. Many of his celebrity friends offered their congratulations and well-wishes with the happy couple via social media.
Two of these famous friends were co-stars of Pennington’s. One is Sabrina Soto. She works with him on “Ty Breaker.” “Congratulations!!! I’m so happy for you both!!!” Soto shared with Pennington.
The other co-star friend is Genevieve Gorder. She worked with Pennington in “Trading Spaces.” “I’M SO HAPPY FOR YOU MY FRIEND!!! Cannot wait to meet her,” Gorder shared.
Other celebrities including chef Amanda Freitag, Vern Yip, Steve Ford, Tamara Day, Mike Holmes, and Jillian Harris also offered their well-wishes.
