Big Brother victor wins match of the day...
ASOUTHPORT woman has married the first-ever Big Brother winner, Craig Phillips, in a beautiful and intimate castle wedding – and there wasn’t a dry eye in the house.
The happy couple tied the knot in the luxurious settings of Peckforton Castle, in Cheshire, inviting 200 of their closest friends and family to join them in the stunning venue’s banqueting hall where they exchanged vows.
Laura Sherriff met Craig two years ago and proposed to her 10 months before their wedding, at the top of Sydney Harbour Bridge, by getting down on one knee in front of her.
Laura cried as she accepted his proposal, and the two have been planning their nuptials ever since.
But rather than drawing up a gift list to send out to their guests, the newlyweds asked their nearest and dearest to donate the money they would have spent on a present to the hospice that cared for Laura’s brother when he was diagnosed with a brain tumour as a baby.
Not only will the Helen & Douglas House receive generous donations thanks to Craig and Laura’s gesture, it will also benefit when Laura puts her wedding dress up for auction.
Laura wore a strapless form-fitting white gown with a feathery fishtail skirt to get married in, pairing it with a long, del- icate veil and a cropped fluffy white jacket to keep out the wintry chill.
Craig opted for a brown suit, white shirt and dark red bow-tie, which matched the velvet suit his best woman wore.
The couple’s five bridesmaids wore long halterneck silk dresses in the same deep red colour and matching furry capelets, each carrying red and white posies decorated with pinecones to fit in with the colour scheme.
The pair will shortly be jetting off to Colorado, in the US, for a snowboarding honeymoon.
It’s not the first time Craig has done something generous for others. Fol- lowing his Big Brother win in 2000, he donated all £70,000 of his winnings to childhood friend Joanne Harris, who needed medical treatment for her Down’s Syndrome, including a heart and lung transplant in America.
Joanne died in 2008 from an infection she picked up in hospital, and Craig paid tribute to his “special little lady”.
“This is clearly a sad time for Joanne’s entire family and friends,” he said at the time.
“I am saddened and heartbroken at Joanne’s loss and want to pass on my deepest sympathies to her family. I’d also like to thank the public on behalf of all Joanne’s family for the many messages of condolence which have been received.”