‘On the rise': New Year 12 trend exploding in popularity
Students are increasingly taking part in the showstopping art of 'promposals', a dramatic and creative way to ask someone to be your date on the biggest night of the school leavers' calendar.
The staged event originates from the US where Americans have been going all-out for decades, but videos flooding social media show the 'school formal proposal' is now rapidly growing in popularity here too.
One recipient of the new Aussie tradition is 17-year-old Lilly Devlin, whose boyfriend of seven-months Riley Exelby, surprised her at their Queensland high school with a very extravagant invitation.
Walking into school at 10am on a typical Wednesday morning, the pupil was stunned as she was surrounded by a never-ending line of teenagers, all clapping and cheering.
'It was quite overwhelming, everyone was just so happy for us, and as I walked down the path some of my best friends were handing me flowers,' the teenager told news.com.au.
'It was so nice, it made me feel really special.'
At the end of the aisle, Riley was waiting for her with chocolates and a pot plant in his hands, as his friends surrounded him holding signs that read: F-O-R-M-A-L?
After sealing the deal with a kiss, Lilly – who by this point was clutching a huge bouquet of red roses, pink lilies and white baby's breath – turned to the crowd of watching students and gave the ultimate sign of approval: a thumbs up.
Later, she shared a video of the heartwarming moment on TikTok, with the caption: 'We [Australian flag emoji] not [United States flag emoji]. FORMAL? YESSS!!!'
The clip quickly blew up, amassing hundreds of thousands of views in a matter of days, many agreeing they couldn't believe formal proposals were now a thing.
'This being in Australia makes it more impressive,' noted one.
'School wasn't that cute when I went to formal,' said another.
Riley said it took him several weeks to plan everything, explaining the hardest part was keeping it from Lilly.
'She had no idea what was happening, it all worked out pretty well in the end,' he told news.com.au.
'I think we're the first people to ever have a school formal proposal at our school, it's kind of cool to know we'll go down in history.'
While many social media users declared the stunt 'adorable', arguing that Riley – who is also 17 – had 'set the bar high' for the other kids, some schools have started to crack down on students.
Aquinas College, an elite secondary school on the Gold Coast, reportedly banned students from 'promposing' to their dates for formal at the end of last year.
It also allegedly threatened one student, who was keen to partake in the blossoming tradition, with suspension.
The reasoning behind taking strict action against promposals comes from the school's concerns about videos being shared on social media, the Courier Mail reported at the time.
But kids at the school argued it was 'wrong', with one unnamed student stating: 'It shines the light on love, friendship and kindness within the school community.'
Lilly's mum, Beck Devlin, said that unlike other formal trends – which are often costly – this was just a heartfelt display of affection.
'I thought it was just beautiful of Riley to make my daughter's formal so memorable, to go to such trouble, and not just him, but it was also his mum and dad and his sister who helped orchestrate everything, it was just so special,' she told news.com.au.
'There was a lot of planning behind the scenes, and trying to hide it from Lilly, but it all came together so beautifully.
'School formals can put a lot of pressure on kids, but what Riley has shown here, is back to basics love and respect. It doesn't have to cost a lot of money.'
Other videos filmed and shared on social media show similar scenes happening at schools across the country.
One clip on TikTok shows a young girl receiving a pink bouquet from her suitor in front of a large crowd of uniform-clad students with the caption, 'hello hello formal date'.
While another shows a hopeful Year 12 boy taking hold of a microphone during a sports assembly to ask out the girl he'd like by his side at the annual school event.
The rise in popularity has also seen florists experience a boom, with Brisbane business Unveiling Poppy, selling a large number of items specifically for proposals.
'School formal proposals with custom luxe floral bouquets have become very popular, especially with our local students,' owner, Amy Gurling, told news.com.au.
'It's a trend that is definitely on the rise, but we also sell a lot of formal corsages for the big event too.'
With Lilly and Riley not set to celebrate until November 19, the hunt is now on for the perfect couple outfits.
'I'm wearing a red gown and one of our friends has a big Ford F-250 truck which we'll be taking, it is so exciting,' she said.
'It's definitely going to be a night we'll remember forever.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
ABC News
an hour ago
- ABC News
BOY SODA covers Panic! At The Disco's ‘I Write Sins Not Tragedies' for Like A Version
Eora's RnB wunderkind BOY SODA has transformed a 2000s emo classic into a smooth, sleek and funk-flecked number with his take on Panic! At The Disco's 'I Write Sins Not Tragedies'. When the 2005 original is a maximalist rush of baroque pop complete with cello and singer Brendon Urie's vocal gymnastics, BOY SODA slows things down a little and brings in some gentle drums, velvety, warm bass lines and jazz-y horn trio. The result is still dramatic, especially with BOY SODA's gorgeous falsettos, but much more relaxed. "I hope it finds [people] in the middle of some decompression," he says. How did BOY SODA, real name Brae Luafalealo, land on the Panic! track? He says he heard it in the car shortly after signing up for his first-ever Like A Version, and remembered how much he loved the track as a kid. "It's just one of those childhood songs that I would always sing in the car, and is imprinted in your memory as one of those songs that bring up a lot of nostalgia when you listen to it," he says. "It's nice to bring an RnB spin to a song that everybody knows and that i was screaming at the top of my lungs for my entire childhood." He says matching Brendon's high-pitched falsetto as a kid "plagued him", and he'd spend hours trying to match him. Looks like all those hours paid off. Arriving a few weeks ahead of BOY SODA's debut album Soulstar , this Like A Version marks about five years of the singer's time in the spotlight, including popping up on triple j's Bars of Steel a few years back. Since then, he says he's leaned "less rap and more soul, which feels more me". If this is a sign of what to expect, we can't wait. Catch him chatting about the cover below in a behind-the-scenes video and his rendition of 'Lil Obsession', a track he dropped back in January. Behind BOY SODA's cover of Panic! At The Disco's 'I Write Sins Not Tragedies' for Like A Version Boy Soda - 'Lil Obsession' (like for Like A Version) Posted 15m ago 15 minutes ago Thu 21 Aug 2025 at 10:30pm
News.com.au
an hour ago
- News.com.au
The Block ratings surge but auction day looms
The Block's most-watched season in years could still unravel on auction day, with television insiders warning all eyes will be on the hammers. Across four nights, the show is drawing combined episode reach totals of more than 8 million, though that includes repeat viewers across episodes. The 2025 season launched with a reach of 2.7 million and continues to dominate Sunday nights with average audiences pushing past 1.4 million amid the shows format change from renovating to building and stronger focus on the contestants stories and building rather than drama. Television and entertainment expert Colin Vickery said The Block's real test is still to come, when the renovated Daylesford homes go under the hammer. 'The Block will always rate well on finale night,' Mr Vickery said. 'But a flop result can leave a sour taste and impact next year's momentum.' Mr Vickery said big-name buyers like Adrian Portelli have played a major role in recent seasons, but 'if they're absent this year', the pressure will shift back to everyday market demand. 'This year, if those buyers sit it out, it'll be interesting to see what happens,' he said. 'The moment the hammer drops still defines how The Block is remembered each year.' Mr Vickery said the show was easily outrating rivals like Channel 7's The Voice and Network 10's Survivor, and credited Nine producers with maintaining audience loyalty by returning to a single-season format and keeping location choices fresh. 'They've got both ends of the calendar locked up, Married At First Sight in the first half of the year, and The Block in the second,' he said. 'It's smart programming.' Block judge and Whitefox director Marty Fox said this season was a 'perfect storm', with casting, location and fairness working in its favour. 'Daylesford is rich in history and lifestyle appeal, and this season feels like a level playing field,' Mr Fox said. 'For the contestants, if you succeed, it's on you. 'If you fail, it's on you, that fairness resonates with viewers.' Mr Fox said a cultural shift was underway in what audiences wanted from reality television in 2025. 'People are tired of toxic drama,' he said. 'They want effort, quality, transformation, and they're getting that this year.' The show has also helped turn Mr Fox into a household name, thanks to his blunt, unscripted critiques, including calling one bathroom an 'up-market abattoir', a line that quickly went viral with fans on forums But, The Block judge told The Herald Sun 'none of it is planned' and his reaction with fellow judges Shaynna Blaze and Darren Palmer were all in real time. 'It one take, off the cuff, in the moment,' Mr Fox said. 'But people remember it. I had someone stop me at a sushi shop just to talk about a one liner I've said on the show.' Mr Fox said The Block's continued success came down to its ability to cut through as one of the last true appointment-viewing shows on TV. 'You can watch it with your kids and your parents, and all get something out of it,' he said. 'It sparks conversations around the dinner table — that's rare these days.' With more than 33 million viewer engagements already logged this season, expectations for the finale are high. 'They'll wrap the season and analyse what worked,' Mr Fox said. 'But if the finale lands, this could be remembered as one of The Block's best.' The Block 2025 Ratings Episode Audience Reach Average Audience Ep 1 (Launch) 2,700,000 1,303,000 Ep 2 (Mon) 1,919,000 1,100,000 Ep 3 (Tue) 1,898,000 1,120,000 Ep 4 (Wed) 1,836,000 1,029,000 Ep 5 (Sun) 2,497,000 1,312,000 Ep 6 (Mon) 2,050,000 1,082,000 Ep 7 (Tue) 2,025,000 1,079,000 Ep 8 (Wed) 1,926,000 1,061,000 Ep 9 (Sun) 2,617,000 1,412,000 Ep 10 (Mon) 1,952,000 1,074,000 Ep 11 (Tue) 1,711,000 961,000 Ep 12 (Wed) 1,722,000 1,029,000 Ep 13 (Sun) 2,622,000 1,443,000 Ep 14 (Mon) 2,034,000 1,099,000 Ep 15 (Tue) 1,852,000 1,040,000 Ep 16 (Wed) 1,983,000 1,113,000 Average 2.84 million 1.141 million
ABC News
an hour ago
- ABC News
Behind BOY SODA's cover of Panic! At The Disco's ‘I Write Sins Not Tragedies' for Like A Version
BOY SODA remembers trying to match Brendon Urie's high-pitched voice as a kid, while listening to Panic! At The Disco's 'I Write Sins Not Tragedies'. "Brendon Urie's just an incredible vocalist," says BOY SODA, real name Brae Luafalealo. Brendon's voice in that high register - at the time I heard it, that was kind of a part of my voice that was starting to break and not be very strong. Hearing him and Fall Out Boy, similar bands with that kind of belty voice which has got so much strength and power in that high-register. It was something I really wanted to have so I remember singing this song over and over to get that." "Ironically now we turned it into RnB, with falsettos and all that.... It's nice to bring an RnB spin to a song that everybody knows and that I was screaming at the top of my lungs for my entire childhood." While the 2005 original is a maximalist rush of baroque pop complete with cello and singer Brendon Urie's vocal gymnastics, BOY SODA slows things down a little and brings in some gentle drums, velvety, warm bass lines and jazz-y horn trio. The result is still dramatic, especially with BOY SODA's gorgeous falsettos, but much more relaxed. "I hope it finds [people] in the middle of some decompression," he says. Arriving a few weeks ahead of BOY SODA's debut album Soulstar , this Like A Version marks about five years of the singer's time in the spotlight, including popping up on triple j's Bars of Steel a few years back plus more than a few epiphanies. "Bars of Steel was a different version of myself," he says. "I'm here with less rap and more soul, which feels more me." Brae says he's been fanging for Like A Version since the beginning. "I remember the first time I started making music, I was like I can't wait to do my cover for triple j," he says. He says it felt "very serendipitous" to perform, with everything working out on the day. For him, performing it was like how it sounds: smooth: "The music starts playing and everything else melts away." Posted 24m ago 24 minutes ago Thu 21 Aug 2025 at 10:30pm
