He never knew Christmas in an Iraqi orphanage - now Emmanuel Kelly’s festive single celebrates finding love

Singer Emmanuel Kelly is putting the romance into Christmas with his new single ‘Christmas Love (Marry Me)’.

The song (which has an official release date of 1st December) is out now. Listen here: Christmas Love (Marry Me)

Christmas has a particular significance for Kelly. It wasn’t celebrated in the orphanage where he lived in Iraq. He first experienced it after arriving in Australia. His adoptive mother, Moira, made up for lost time by going all out, creating an entire Santa’s Grotto in their home.

Those happy family memories helped make Christmas his favourite time of year. Today, Kelly believes nowhere does the season better than London. The capital features in the lyrics of ‘Christmas Love (Marry Me)’, making the track a love song to his adopted city as well as a celebration of festive romance.

The song is inspired by a poker-night conversation about why so many of his friends chose the festive season to pop the question.

Due for official release on December 1st 2026, the song brings together Kelly’s own Christmas proposal, lyrics written with his fiancée and a nod to London, the city he now calls home.

The idea began when a school friend in Australia called Kelly during a poker game to ask for proposal advice. As the conversation spread around the table, it emerged that Christmas had been a popular choice among the group, although their reasons were not always entirely romantic!

Emmanuel said: “Not the most romantic start, but I was hosting a poker night with some guy friends when my mate from Oz, who I’ve known since school, called to say that he’d decided to propose and wanted some ideas as he knew that I’d already got down on my only knee to my fiancée the year before.

“I told him that I popped the question at Christmas because the house was decorated with candles and Christmas lights and already looked romantic. Then my other mate at the table said that he proposed at Christmas too, because all their families were already gathered so he didn’t have to arrange anything. And my neighbour, who’d joined the game, said that he proposed at Christmas because buying a ring was easier than thinking of a Christmas gift…”

That exchange inspired Kelly to write a song celebrating the magic behind a Christmas proposal, with a little help from the person who had said yes to his proposal… his now fiancée.

He said: “I guess the idea came to me to write a song that celebrates a Christmas proposal so that on behalf of men everywhere, I can put a little of the magic back.”

Emmanuel added: “All joking aside, I have always loved Christmas. It truly is a magical time of year and I believe us guys want a little of that magic to surround a moment we’ll always remember.”

‘Christmas Love (Marry Me)’ is released on December 1st 2026.