Princess Leah Isadora Behn of Norway has officially confirmed her romance with singer Jostein Hamar by kissing him on television.
The 21-year-old royal, who is fifth in the line of succession to the Norwegian throne, shared the tender kiss with the boy band musician during a live recording of Skal vi danse, the country's version of Dancing with the Stars.
Leah, the daughter of Princess Marta-Luisa of Norway and niece of King Haakon and Queen Mette-Marit, has been competing on the dance floor for the past month alongside professional partner Andreas Holst Hiim. Her sharp technical skills and natural charm have quickly established her as one of the leading contenders to win the competition.
Her successful ballroom run comes amidst a turbulent period for the Norwegian monarchy, with the royal household enduring what commentators have described as the most challenging year in its modern history, dominated by legal proceedings, controversy, and mourning.
King Haakon and Queen Mette-Marit recently joined European royal families to attend the funeral of Princess Astrid, an event that Crown Princess Mette-Marit's son Marius Borg did not attend. Borg is currently preparing for a new court trial after replacing his legal team for the third time, while Princess Ingrid Alexandra recently unveiled a style makeover ahead of her first solo official engagement.
Tango performance and the television kiss
Leah captivated the studio audience during the latest live broadcast with a powerful tango routine alongside Hiim. Wearing a silver fringed dress, she performed across the ballroom floor to the pop track Confidence by American singer Demi Lovato.
Following the routine, she walked over to the auditorium seating to embrace her most dedicated supporters. Watching from the front rows were her mother, Princess Marta-Luisa, and her stepfather, the American shaman Durek Verrett, who were seated directly next to Hamar.
Speculation regarding a romance between the royal and the young musician had circulated across the country for several months. The rumours were definitively confirmed when Leah leaned forward to kiss Hamar on the lips, acknowledging their relationship before her family and television viewers nationwide.
The couple have not yet issued a formal statement discussing their relationship, but Hamar spoke briefly to the programme's cameras in the studio. The musician said he believed Leah would go very far in the competition, adding that they were looking forward to seeing her shine.
Boy band member Jostein Hamar
The ballroom kiss highlights another union between contemporary music and European royalty, coming several months after Dutch pop artist and rapper Antoon was linked with Princess Alexia of the Netherlands, the second daughter of Queen Maxima.
Hamar, 20, is already well known to Norwegian music fans as a member of the pop and rap group Streetboys. He grew up in Bærum, a municipality located in southeastern Norway, and developed a passion for musical composition at an early age.
During his teenage years, the singer published solo tracks under the pseudonym Ham4R. He later joined forces with fellow musicians Eirik Olweus, 20, and Mathias Nesvåg, 21, to form the trio Streetboys.
The band originally started by composing songs on a computer for their high school graduation celebrations. Those self-produced tracks rapidly gained momentum across streaming platforms and entered the national music charts, with their debut studio album, Fri, climbing to number one on Spotify Norway.
Although Hamar had already established a public profile through his musical career, media attention surrounding the 20-year-old has increased considerably over recent months due to rumours connecting him with Princess Marta-Luisa's daughter.
Social media clues and private romance
Beyond his appearance on the set of Skal vi danse, Hamar and Leah have regularly exchanged affectionate comments and supportive messages on Instagram throughout recent months.
The public display of affection represents a distinct departure for Leah, who previously maintained a private relationship for a full year with a partner whose identity was never disclosed, sharing only photos taken from behind on her Instagram stories.
Hamar was seen seated in the studio gallery alongside Princess Marta-Luisa and Leah's elder sister Maud Angelica, underscoring his welcome presence among her family members during the live broadcast.
Tribute to Ari Behn
Leah's journey on the dance show has also featured poignant personal moments. Earlier in the season, she presented an emotional tribute to her father, the author and artist Ari Behn, who died in 2019 following years of struggle with depression.
The moving routine brought her mother and her two sisters to tears in the audience. Her family has maintained a constant presence at the television studios throughout the competition, attending each weekly show to offer their encouragement.
Family television careers
The sister of King Haakon and her daughters have built an extensive presence across Norwegian reality television. Leah has followed the path established by her elder sister, Maud Angelica, who became the first royal family member to appear on Kokkeskolen, the Norwegian adaptation of MasterChef Celebrity, before also taking part in the musical guessing competition Masked Singer.
Leah made her own reality television debut last year when she competed in the fifth season of Forræder, Norway's adaptation of the psychological competition format The Traitors.
Those television appearances run alongside the media ventures of Princess Marta-Luisa and her husband, Durek Verrett. The couple recently appeared in Alternative Norway, a six-part esoteric reality series that drew considerable public scrutiny.
The series received severe criticism from national media outlets following its broadcast. The daily newspaper Aftenposten branded the show ethically reprohensible, while Dagbladet described the production as completely uncritical and lacking context.
