Newly engaged Charlotte: “My dad taught me the meaning of marriage”
Celebs Go Dating star Charlotte Dawson pays tribute to her late dad, comedian Les, as she prepares to welcome her first baby with fiancé Matt Sarsfield
It’s rare to find Charlotte Dawson lost for words.
But on 5 September, just weeks after the reality star announced she was expecting her first child, she tearfully accepted former rugby player Matt Sarsfield’s heartfelt proposal in front of a statue of her late dad, legendary comic Les Dawson. “My fairy tale came true,” she later revealed in a post to her Instagram followers. “I feel the luckiest girl in the world; my dad got to witness me get engaged.”
Now, as she looks ahead to her wedding day, Charlotte, 27 – who is 21 weeks pregnant and expecting a baby boy in January – says it’s her mum, Tracy, and her father’s own truly loving marriage that will inspire her love story in the years to come.
Charlotte tells Closer, “I’ve watched their wedding video and the way my dad looks at my mum is unbelievable. It gives me goosebumps. It [their marriage] has taught me how real they were. The materialistic things mean nothing, as long as you’ve got each other.”
SPECIAL PART TO PLAY
Charlotte’s parents tied the knot in 1983. Tragically, Les was struck down by a fatal heart attack ten years later, when Charlotte was just eight months old.
While the star admits the thought of her dad not being there to celebrate her big day is “heartbreaking”, she knows he’ll be there in spirit – and she’s going to make sure he has a special part to play. She says, “I’ll probably have all my dad’s jokes.”
True to her comic nature, Charlotte will bring her cardboard cut-out of her famous dad along too, just as she did at her recent baby gender reveal. But it will be her mum walking her down the aisle. She says, “It’s heartbreaking not having dad, but I’m thankful I’ve still got my mum.”
Charlotte is hoping her wedding happens next year, after she’s given birth. But having a newborn baby in tow isn’t going to stop her from holding “the most ‘extra’ thing you’ve ever seen in your life”.
She explains, “Matthew’s ideal wedding would be abroad, but I’d like it to be in a church or a castle. I don’t think I’ll be turning up in a horse and carriage, but
I’ll be rocking up in something fabulous. I always like to make an entrance!”
Her dress – or rather, dresses – will be equally as spectacular, with the star planning to have around five outfit changes throughout the day.
The Ex On The Beach star wants her main gown to ooze glitz and glamour, designed in a flattering fishtail shape with lots of diamante gems.
And, unsurprisingly, guests will have the opportunity to tuck into Charlotte’s favourite food after the ceremony: chips and gravy. She reveals, “I want a gravy fountain instead of a chocolate one. Then you can dip the chips into the gravy. How amazing is that?!”
WILD HEN DO
With three maids of honour and ten bridesmaids, Charlotte says her hen party will be “the craziest thing ever”.
She hopes to jet off to Majorca for a combination of nice meals, boat trips and boozy nights out in Magaluf. But there’s one thing Charlotte hopes will be off the cards: strippers. She laughs, “Matt would go ballistic!”
But for now, Charlotte is counting down the days until she meets her little boy, who is due on 25 January – exactly one week before what would’ve been her dad’s 90th birthday.
She says, “I’m going to try to hold
out until then. Maybe it will happen.
I’m hoping!”
In an ideal world, Charlotte would have a water birth – but she admits she’s “nervous” about the pain.
She explains, “I’ve heard some amazing things about it. But I’m very nervous and you can’t have an epidural with a water birth. I’m going to have hypnobirthing classes and if I can get my breathing down to a tee, I should be fine with just gas and air.”
But she’s already a natural when it comes to motherhood.
She says, “I always thought Matthew would be the stricter one because I let my nieces and nephews get away with murder. But I’m thinking of all these things now I’m growing a baby, like him playing with the wrong people and things like that. My mum says, ‘Now you know how I feel!’”
And Charlotte is already thinking about baby number two. She reveals, “I want to get married first and then
I want another baby; I want my girl.
I’m like a baby-making machine!”
By Zara Zubeidi
‘I want to get married first, then have a baby
girl!’