An American student who flew to the UK to surprise her actor boyfriend has insisted they are still going strong after their reunion was filmed and left him ‘with a look of horror’.
Cara Corrigan convinced partner Paul Stirrat she was in Florida while he was performing pantomime in Rotherham earlier this year.
But she had secretly teamed up with his fellow Dick Whittington cast members and even his mother to plan the surprise.
Friends filmed the moment she waited outside his dressing room as he was called out by colleagues and the video went viral due to the complete look of shock on his face, leading to speculation he was not pleased to see her and could be ‘hiding something’.
But Ms Corrigan, also an actress, was quick to dismiss the reaction and told MailOnline they had been ‘cracking up’ at the reaction online and added: ‘Rest assured, he doesn’t have another girlfriend’.
She added they are both in the US currently which his ‘other girlfriend would not be happy about’ if she existed.
American actress Cara Corrigan, left, who let her long-distance boyfriend Paul Stirrat, right, looking ‘horrified’ after surprising him at his theatre has insisted they are still very much together
Unsuspecting boyfriend Mr Stirrat was caught on camera struggling to contain his shock as his girlfriend embraced him after flying from the US to see him in Rotherham, where he was performing in Dick Whittington
Miss Corrigan, pictured with Mr Stirrat in the US, said he does not have another girlfriend and if he did ‘she would not be happy’
The couple are currently in Philadelphia, pictured, where Mr Stirrat has come to watch her graduate from university
Ms Corrigan added Mr Stirrat’s reaction was down to the pure shock of seeing her
She said his reaction was purely because he was stunned to see her after the surprise worked so well.
Ms Corrigan told MailOnline: ‘Paul was in a panto over Christmas, and we were both disappointed because I couldn’t go over to see it.
‘He had been facetiming me every day and trying to get me a recording of the show. I met the whole cast over facetime, saw most of the show over facetime, because Paul wanted me to see as much as I could.
‘But, he didn’t know that I had worked with his mom and cast members to get plane tickets and surprise him.
‘We had been video chatting the day I arrived, and he thought I was with my family in Florida. I had been sending him old pictures of Florida that I had on my phone to make it even more realistic.
‘So, when I arrived, he was caught completely by surprise. Had not a clue.
‘Rest assured, he doesn’t have another “girlfriend”.
In the footage, nervous girlfriend Cara waits outside her long-distance boyfriend’s dressing room as she prepares to surprise him
As Paul emerges from the dressing room of the theatre, he notices his girlfriend standing in the corridor
The shock eventually subsides and Paul returns the warm hug from his loving long-distance girlfriend
Ms Corrigan, right, said she and her boyfriend, left, were ‘cracking up’ at the reaction
‘He’s here with me in America right now to see me graduate college. Don’t think his other girlfriend would be too happy with that!
‘We’re both cracking up over here!’
Paul is a Scottish actor, and had been performing the role of King Rat in the pantomime Dick Whittington which had been playing at the Rotherham Civic Theatre.
Cara Corrigan, from Osprey, Florida, is also an accomplished actress, having performed since the age of eight and performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
In the footage, friends call out for Paul to come out of his dressing room and in to the corridor.
While he takes his time a woman can be seen running from the room and his girlfriend excitedly waits for him to emerge.
A man says: ‘Paul, can you come out please.’
Walking out of the door Paul looks around to see why he is being called.
Suddenly he does a double-take as he spots his girlfriend and a look of shock appears on his face.
However he eventually recovers from the shock and embraces her.
The actress, right, convinced Mr Stirrat she was in Florida and even teamed up with his mother and fellow cast members to pull off the deception
Mr Stirrat, left, was performing in Dick Whittington while Ms Corrigan, right, has appeared at the Edinburgh Fringe