HOST and actor Sean Lee revealed that he had been in a relationship with his wife, Bay Doucet, 26, for eight years before deciding to get married on July 7.
Sean or Lee Jia Ern, 30, said that he gave his wife time to make her own decision since they had known each other from a young age.
However, Sean said that he had never intended to keep his love story a secret, but instead respected his wife's family's decision not to publicise it.
In fact, Sean did not want comments from netizens to have an impact on their relationship.
"It's never been my intention to keep things secret, but it's more about my wife's family's wish for privacy.
"For our closest friends, especially childhood friends, it is not a secret because we have always gone out dating and they have met us many times.
"I want to thank everyone who has seen us together over the years but respected our families' wishes to not talk about our wedding plans until after our big day."
Sean added that his wife was a more private person than he, and likewise her family members.
As a result, he understood and respected their wishes to keep things under wraps and not to openly talk about their relationship until they finally exchanged their vows.
"We've been together for almost a decade, but like any other relationship, it wasn't perfect.
"There were many ups and downs, but we finally realised how much we meant to each other and made the life-changing decision to tie the knot.
"From the very beginning we agreed on the 'date to marry' principle.
"So, eight years gave us lots of time to make sure that she was the right woman for me and I was the right man for her," he said.
Sean said that he was delighted to finally be able to talk about his "romantic journey" with Doucet.
"Honestly, I'm so delighted after getting married because I'm not a secretive person. If it's fun, I want to share it with my fans and friends.
"I feel like a burden is off my shoulders. I don't need to be shy and hide when I want to go out with my wife," he said.
Sharing how he and Doucet conducted their relationship, Sean said that they had been in contact via social media a lot because his wife was studying at a university in Australia.
"Of course I started it first. I actually sent a direct message to her on Instagram.
"We started chatting, and my wife who was in Australia furthering her studies at university level bonded with me 'long-distance' style.
"I didn't get to 'date' her physically for a long time, we had virtual dating via social media.
"My wife is different from other women.
"I'm usually tongue-tied when it comes to saying something.
"I'm sometimes afraid of taking calls and I don't have time to think of a quick answer whenever I'm contacted.
"When texting, there is a lot of time to think about an answer.
"But my wife is a straightforward person who says what she wants to say.
"That made me fall in love with her."
Sean added that Doucet "completed his life".
"I see many beautiful things about her and only want her for the rest of my life.
"That's why she is very special to me," he said.
Sean recently surprised many fans, including Malaysian celebrities, when he shared a photo of his wedding with Doucet, who is a Chinese-American model, on his Instagram page.
Apart from being a model, Doucet is also a content creator and owner of a boutique in the federal capital.
Sean and Doucet's wedding ceremony was held in private and was attended only by family and close friends.