Diana DeGarmo and Ace Young find post-’Idol’ romance

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Diana DeGarmo and Ace Young are stepping out as a couple, but the ‘American Idol’ alums didn’t fall for each other on the set of the hit Fox reality show -- the musical duo actually met years later as co-stars in the Broadway revival of “Hair.”

Here’s the shocker. They actually started dating back in 2010, two whole years ago, and are just now talking about it. Of course, there were a few hints along the way. The couple were snapped together on more than one red carpet, but considering their ‘Idol’ roots (she was the runner-up on season three; he came in seventh on season five) and ‘Hair’ past, no one paid much attention.

DeGarmo, 24, tells People they became smitten when they met in New York and a friendship ‘blossomed into a beautiful relationship.’

Young, 31, joked that seeing DeGarmo disrobe in ‘Hair’ was all it took. ‘I was already interested in her as a person before I got to see her with no clothes on,’ he said. ‘But [that] sealed the deal.’

After a brief time apart (DeGarmo was touring with the cast of ‘9 to 5’ while Young was back in Los Angeles) the two are in the same city and living under the same roof.

Now, when DeGarmo isn’t busy with her CBS soap ‘The Young and the Restless,’ she and Young are writing songs together. The couple, along with some friends, started the group All Access and recently received a Grammy nomination for co-writing ‘It’s Not Over’ for fellow ‘Idol’ alum Chris Daughtry.

‘She’s my best friend,’ Young tells People. ‘To be able to dive in with Diana and help create songs that [tell] her story is amazing.’

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-- Emily Christianson