IT'S double happiness for small-screen celebrity couple Soo Kui Jien and Sarah Tan. The good-looking ESPN Star Sports presenter and the equally attractive Channel [V] VJ registered their marriage in October, shortly after he proposed with a 1.1 carat Tiffany diamond ring.

The wedding reception is in Bali on 21 Dec. And they are expecting a baby - Sarah is 41/2 months pregnant. Malaysian TV host Kui Jien, 35, and Sarah, 27, have been dating for 21/2 years and he said he knew she was "the one" seven months into the relationship.

He told The New Paper from their rented house in Serangoon Gardens: "It's not like we  rushed into this... we talked about marriage quite a bit, it was a natural progression for us."

So was the pregnancy planned or accidental?

A bit of both, the newlyweds revealed. Kui Jien, who has starred in local TV shows such as Brothers 4, My Sassy Neighbour and Gotcha, said: "We love kids, but we never set a time frame for these things. We talked about it and next thing you know, it happened."

Their parents are apparently "ecstatic" about the baby, the first grandchild for both sides. Sarah, a Chinese-British model, explained that her unexpected pregnancy put the subject of marriage on the table and was the deciding factor that nudged them closer to making a serious commitment.

The couple, who co-hosted local reality speed-dating series A Light Affair last February, dismissed talk that it was a shotgun wedding.

Sarah said wearily: "A shotgun wedding is when two people get married because they have to, but we want to (get married).

"It was such life-changing news and it's the biggest thing that has ever happened to me, I didn't really care what anyone else thought."  

They will be at a luxurious resort in Bali for four days for the private beachside wedding ceremony-cum-honeymoon. There will be two more mini-receptions in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and Surrey, England next year, for friends and relatives who are unable to attend the Bali ceremony.

Kui Jien, who hosted two seasons of Malaysian Idol, is now in Jakarta to host Asian Idol, which takes place on 15 and 16 Dec.

For Sarah, her career with Channel [V] is up in the air, now that she's pregnant.

A spokesman for the English cable music channel would only reveal that "it's too early for details regarding Sarah's future role with (us)", adding that "she is no doubt an integral part of the [V] family".

Sarah herself is unsure about her plans, saying: "I just got back from England. I haven't had a chance to talk to anyone yet.

"But contracts are always up in December.

"Ideally, I would like to continue working part-time, but I don't know if the channel (would want that)."

During the interview, Kui Jien and Sarah came across like an old married couple who enjoyed ribbing each other. He would tease her about how he was brainwashed into marrying her via "subliminal messages" from a tape recorder by his bedside.

She would joke about how he's starting to lose his hair and wouldn't be able to snag anyone else.

She dropped the bombshell that she was expecting when she called Kui Jien, who was overseas at the time. He apparently turned silent before finally saying, "Who is this? Where did I meet you? Was I drunk?"

Sarah said their easygoing nature and sense of humour help keep things running smoothly.

Kui Jien said: "I always wanted to find the right person at the right time for things to happen, and in her, I found that." They shared a glance and Sarah cooed: "Aww, that's the nicest you've ever been to me."

To that, Kui Jien retorted: "And the nicest I will ever be!"