28 - Sunday, June 21, 1992 - North Shore News NOT MANY people can say they have shocked Oprah Winfrey. And not many people can say they asked their girlfriends 10 get married on a national U.S. televi- sion talk show. But that’s what North Van- couver’s Jonas Granander did on June 3. NORTH VANCOUVER'S Jonas Granander happily displays his of- I do, Oprah: N.V. man proposes on TV. ‘“*When Oprah’s producer phoned me, | thought it was a joke, so | hung up. Then my girlfriend phoned and said we were going to be on the Oprah Winfrey Show. Good thing the producer phoned back,’" said Granander, The 27-vear-old freelance photographer found ow on May 38 that he and his then-girlfriend, ficial Oprah Winfrey thank-you mug which he received after being on the Chicago-based show. To his girifriend’s surprise, Granander proposed marriage on the syndicated talk show. Read ail about this year’s line up of players, plus exclusive interviews with Danny Barrett & Bob O’Billovich. Plus! Enter to win season’s tickets to the B.C. Lions Carol Harding. of Baltimore, Maryland, were going to be on the Chicago-based show the following Wednesday. **As soon as E sat down (on the set), E asked her (to marry me),"” said Granander. “ft cook the ring out. and the camera immediately zoomed in on uv. She (my girlfriend) couldn't believe it. Oprah was at a toss for words, And the audience was say- ing, ‘Go ahead and kiss,” said Granander, who is a former cruise-ship photographer. Harding, # 27-year-old regis- tered nurse, accepted the marriage proposal, and the couple plan to wed at the end of the year and live in North Vancouver. The Winfrey show's theme was “reunion relationships."’ Granander and Harding quali- fied for the show because the iwo had not seen each other since they met on a cruise ship in Hawaii 2% years ago. But they have communicated every other day by phone, talking between 45 minutes to 1% hours ata Stretch. “My phone bill is about $275 a month,”* said Granander. Granander describes his fiancee as an Oprah show fan. When the show was. soliciting participants for a reunion rela- tionships show, Harding tried “forever’’ to get through on a f- 860 number. She finally was cui to leave a message describing Ser relationship with Granander, and one of the show's producers phoned back. Granander had already bought the four-diamond engagement ting before he was asked to be on the show. He planned to give the ring to Harding during a visit to Baltimore this year. Shortly after Granander pro- posed, he said Winfrey regained her composure and began to ask some rapid and tough questions such as, ‘“‘Why do you want [to marry her? What are you going to do? Where are you going to live?”* Audience members then got chance to ask questions, and SALE GR AIS Pa RESIS A S00 7C2 9A ERNE ENTRIES NO ETRE IE COMING IN YOUR WEDNESDAY JUNE 24 NORTH SHORE NEWS eed stee ARE 3 viol Oprah Wiatrey Show W AUDIENCE ENTRANCE NORTH VANCOUVER'S Jonas Granander and his girlfriend, Carol Harding, of Baitimore, Maryland, appeared on the Oprah Winirey show earlier this month. The show's theme was reunion rela- tionships. Granander and Harding were asked to appear on the show because they have continued their relationship despite not having seen each other for 2% years (when they first met). quarrel broke out when some au- dience members said the couple shouldn't marry, while ‘tone guy"' drew cheers when he countered with, “it was meant to be.” Granander said the TV show must have spent thousands on the couple. Granander received a short-notice, first-class plane trip to Chicago, accommodation in the a Hilton's penthouse suite, limo use, room service and all other ex- penses paid. The reunion relationship show will air some time in July. “T never watch her (Oprah Winfrey). 1 don’t particularly like watching those types of shows,” said Granander.