Billy Ray Cyrus has confirmed his engagement to the Australian singer Firerose - and it could all be thanks to his dog.
Cyrus, 61, met the 34-year-old singer - who goes only by the name of Firerose - 12 years ago on the Disney Channel set of Hannah Montana.
Speaking in an interview with People, the father of former child star Miley Cyrus explained that after a "bad" period in which he separated from his wife Tish, 55, and his mother Ruth Ann Casto passed away, he is now getting some "good".
The new engagement could all be down to Cyrus's late canine companion, Tex. The German Shepard would come to set to accompany the actor.
Explaining that the pine trees on set reminded him of his home in Tennessee, Cyrus said: "Tex and I would go out there in the middle of the day and he'd take care of his business. On that given day, Firerose came out of the front door. There was almost a moment of, I don't know, recognition. I was like, 'This girl's a star.'"
Firerose was on the lot that day for an audition. Whilst she didn't bag the job, she did meet the man she would one day call her fiancé.
But Cyrus, possibly predicting their future, had an idea: "I just thought, well, the casting agents, the producers, the writers, they're all on the floor of where we do Hannah Montana.
He recalled: "I actually said to her, 'Don't ever take a strange man up on this offer, but, in this case, Tex will testify that you will be totally safe. I'm going to introduce you to a producer and you can kind of make yourself at home and watch us rehearse and you know, maybe it might lead to a role or just another contact at Disney.
"So, off me and her and Tex went back to the studio and I think she met a lot of the cast and met the producers, writers. And, in some ways, well, in a lot of ways, we became friends."
Watch the pair's most recent music video below:
The pair kept in touch and as the pandemic began, they became songwriting partners. In July 2021, they released their first song together, 'New Day'.
The pair's bond grew stronger, with Firerose telling the magazine: "Billy confided in me a lot of what was going on in his life. I was just the best friend I could possibly be, supporting him."
Cyrus popped the question in August and has declared he wants to be with Firerose "forever".
