In a secret mission worthy of the 007 spy himself, Billy Connolly, had been keeping under wraps a meticulously-worked out plot to pop the question to his unsuspecting girlfriend during a film screening at their local cinema.
He pulled off a lead actor role which stunned partner Charlotte Knowlden when she took her seat in the audience at Empire Theatre’s cinema .
There she watched a James Bond-theme film clip which ended with 23-year-old Billy revealed as the star - and asking for her hand in marriage, reports the Newcastle Chronicle .
At that moment the auditorium doors opened at the back of the cinema and Billy walked down the aisle towards her with an engagement ring and a rose.
And for an anxious Billy the story - like all good films - had a happy ending.
A tearful “yes” was her answer to the all-important question and he said afterwards: “Everything went perfectly.”