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American TV personality Jill Martin got engaged to Erik Brooks for a second time, more than a year after calling off their first engagement. The latter first proposed to the broadcaster in 2019 but the duo parted ways last year during the pandemic.
However, 18 months after their separation, Jill reconnected with Erik over a phone call. The TV host opened up about her reconciliation in TODAY and shared how she made the call:
“I decided to call. It had been 18 months since I had given the ring back. It had been 18 months since we had spoken. During those months, I was never even tempted to reach out — the thought was just too painful. But then one day, I built up the courage… and I called at 2 p.m. on a Thursday. He picked up.”
The 45-year-old mentioned that even though the separation was difficult, the couple needed a “long pause” from the relationship:
“It literally takes my breath away to picture my life without him. But our relationship couldn’t stay the way it was. We needed a pause. A long pause. And we took it.”
Following their reunion, the pair decided to put a ring on their relationship once again. However, Jill mentioned that their second engagement was “different” than the first:
“Our first engagement was extravagant and over the top: flowers, a tent, pictures, our families, cameras, lights… very dramatic and grand. This time around it was different. It was beautiful, but it was different.”
The couple got engaged in a small fishing boat on the Harbor Islands in the Bahamas, contrary to their lavish arrangement during their first engagement:
“Erik simply said, “I can’t wait to spend the rest of forever with you. And we were engaged. Again.”
Erik Brooks and Jill Martin’s special moment reportedly took place in the middle of the sea and was captured by another couple who were present in a nearby boat.
Jill Martin is an Emmy Award-winning media personality
Jill Martin is an American media personality, fashion expert, and a regular contributor on NBC's TODAY. She is best known for hosting popular segments like Steals and Deals, Ambush Makeover, and NY Minute.
She was born on April 14, 1976, in Manhattan and graduated with a degree in communications from the University of Michigan. According to IMDb, she stepped into the TV industry as an intern for LIVE! with Regis and Kathie Lee, and Geraldo and assistant at The Maury Povich Show.
The New York native established a career in broadcasting with WAMI-TV's Live in 1999. As part of her role, she covered entertainment stories and special events around Miami. She then started working with News 12 Long Island as a reporter for Hamptons and also contributed to Dan’s Paper.
Jill Martin went on to bag a role on Good Morning America as fashion correspondent and discussed the hottest fashion trends. Following her stint with ABC, she spent two years in the Miami Heat covering hoops and conducting live broadcasts during timeouts.
The 45-year-old went on to serve as a sports reporter for CBS-4 (WFOR) in Miami. During her five-year tenure, she covered 2003 Marlins World Series victory and also earned an Emmy nomination for her work with Dolphins linebacker Junior Seau.
The broadcaster was later appointed a reporter for the New York Knicks and won two Emmy Awards for her coverage. Jill Martin also worked for The Insider and Hollywood Access as their New York correspondent before beginning her journey on TODAY.
She previously co-hosted 4th hour of TODAY with Kathie-Lee Gifford and covered acclaimed events like the Emmys, Golden Globes, and Oscars. In addition to her contribution to TODAY, she continues to broadcast for the New York Knicks.
The reporter has also co-authored the New York Times bestselling style guides, I Have Nothing to Wear! and Fashion for Dummies and serves as the contributing editor of People’s Stylewatch. Jill Martin’s new special TODAY show Holiday Steals & Deals with Jill Martin launched on November 22, 2021.
A look into Jill Martin and Erik Brooks’ relationship
Jill Martin reportedly met Erik Brooks through a dating app in 2017 and entered into a relationship shortly after. The duo got engaged in Hamptons in 2019 but the relationship hit a rough patch during the pandemic.
The pair appeared on the Today Show at the time and discussed their struggles while quarantining together. Jill also opened up about their fights during the interview:
“Erik and I have never spent so much concentrated time together. We’ve been basically alone for three weeks 24/7 and like many couples we’ve had a couple of blow ups… I would say they were kind of major blow ups, it was kind of tough… these are unprecedented times.”
Although the couple tried to make their relationship work, things took a turn for the worse when they decided to maintain a long-distance relationship after Erik left New York to be with his children in Boston.
In her latest essay on TODAY, Jill Martin shared how the pair had to fall apart to find their way back to each other again:
“After almost three years of a near fairy tale, the lows became more overwhelming than the highs. It wasn’t working. We were arguing more than we were getting along. Energetically, the timing wasn’t right. We both still needed to grow. It took falling apart to build ourselves back together.”
Jill and Erik finally reconciled following the former’s phone call after spending 18 months apart:
“When I called Erik on that random Thursday a few months ago, he was shocked to hear from me. He took time to process that first conversation and then we began to learn about each other again. We wanted to make sure this time would be different. Better.”
The TV host also mentioned that Erik brings out the “best version” in her and shared that the couple are doing better as compared to their past.
“I love the way Erik loves me, but I also love how I feel about myself when I am with him. I am the best version of myself when we are together. I feel confident, smart and happy. We laugh all the time. While we still fight sometimes, we limit the drama. Misunderstandings that used to last for a weekend now last minutes.”
Jill Martin said that she realized the pair was ready to reconcile once she felt “confident” on her own. The duo also got engaged for the second time and the broadcaster stated that it took her 45 years to find her own fairy tale.
