Jonathan Scott Joked He Felt Pressure to Propose Back in April — But It Wasn't from Fiancee Zooey Deschanel

Proposing to Zooey Deschanel has been on Jonathan Scott's mind for quite some time. 

Back in April, the Property Brothers star told PEOPLE that he was always thinking about taking the next big step, but it wasn't because of any hints from his then-girlfriend of three and a half years.

The HGTV host joked that he felt the pressure to propose "all the time," particularly because the couple's fans were also asking him about when he'd take the leap. "The number of messages we get…" he said.

Despite the public’s curiosity, Scott was in no rush at the time. "We're excited," he told PEOPLE of where he and Deschanel were in their relationship. "Everything is going great."

The contractor, 45, and the New Girl alum, 43, have been going strong since they first sparked romance rumors in 2019 after meeting while filming an episode of James Corden’s Carpool Karaoke.

Scott previously admitted he was "flirting so hard" with Deschanel the day they met, "the show's producer had to cut a bunch of it out." He joked, "I thought I was playing it cool."

A few months later, the pair were spotted holding hands while out for a dinner date in September 2019, and they confirmed their relationship that same month when they attended a taping of Dancing with the Stars and shared a kiss while sitting front row.

The happy couple announced their engagement on Monday.

Scott popped the question on Sunday during a family trip to Scotland, PEOPLE exclusively confirmed. Deschanel's two children — daughter Elsie, 8, and son Charlie, 6 — played a role in the special moment.

In a photo shared with PEOPLE, the couple are seen posing in front of the rugged Scottish scenery at the foot of a stone castle and smiling. Deschanel holds up her left hand, showing off her unique ring, adorned with clear, pink and purple stones in a flower motif.

The couple also announced the news in a joint post on their Instagram accounts on Monday afternoon. "Forever starts now" read the simple caption, which was accompanied by some smiling heart emojis and an infinity symbol.

And it's fair to say their eager fans are finally satisfied. The post has more than 15,000 comments, including from famous friends and family members.

Jonathan's brother Drew commented, "This makes me so happy," with heart emojis. While Mindy Kaling wrote, "Omg!!! So amazing Zooey! Congrats!!" Bryce Dallas Howard, January Jones, Brad Goreski and more stars chimed in offering good wishes.

Jonathan's fellow HGTV stars were also all over the comments section. Erin Napier, Nate Berkus, Jasmine Roth and Scott McGillivray all shared their heartfelt congratulations.

Even the official Property Brothers account piped up, writing, "Welcome to the family, @zooeydeschanel."