During his Boot Camp performance on The X Factor, contestant Sam Black surprised everyone with a heartfelt proposal to his girlfriend, Emma.
While the judges—Simon Cowell, Nicole Scherzinger, Sharon Osbourne, and Louis Walsh—ultimately decided not to send Sam through to the next round, his audition ended on a high note.
Performing Del Shannon’s “Runaway,” Sam was interrupted by Simon, who requested he sing without the backing track to better assess his voice. Despite giving it his all, the judges concluded he wouldn’t advance in the competition.
“We really like you,” Simon admitted, “but we’ll have to say no. That said, I think people will genuinely connect with you.”
Before leaving the stage, Sam made one last request. “Is there anything I can do before I go? I’ll never get another moment like this,” he said. Then, turning to Emma, he invited her onto the platform.
In an emotional moment, Sam dropped to one knee and asked, “Do you think I can get a yes from you?” Emma happily accepted, bringing tears to Nicole’s eyes.
“You’ve got a great guy there,” Simon told Emma. “Honestly, that’s better than us saying yes.”
Sam left with a smile, quipping, “At least I got one yes—good enough for me!”
