NEW PARTNERSHIP

MARRIES ANNE-MARIE CORBETT SURROUNDED BY SHOWBIZ PALS

Beaming

with happiness, Ant McPartlin and Anne- Marie Corbett tenderly held hands beneath a floral arch after saying “I do” in a star-studded ceremony witnessed by scores of their famous friends.

With his breathtaking bride by his side, the Britain’s Got Talent presenter punched the air for joy and waved to fans who had gathered outside the grade II-listed church of St Michael in Heckfield, Hampshire, hoping to catch a glimpse of the newlyweds.

It was undoubtedly one of the most lavish showbusiness weddings of the year, right from the moment the bride made her showstopping entrance, glowing in a bespoke asymmetric white silk and lace gown by Suzanne Neville.

But there was also a poignant touch to her outfit: a medallion containing a photo of her late father Paddy, which hung from her bouquet, so he could be there in spirit as she walked down the aisle.

“When Anne-Marie walked into the church, I had to fight to hold it together as she looked so beautiful,” Ant is said to have told guests later.

Wearing a classic black suit and a bow tie, with a mauve rose in his lapel to match the wedding’s pastel theme, Ant, 45, looked dapper arriving with his long- term TV partner Declan “Dec” Donnelly.

STARRING ROLES

There was also a role for Dec’s daughter Isla, two, who was one of the flower girls alongside 43-year-old Anne- Marie’s teenage daughters Poppy and Daisy, from her previous marriage, as bridesmaids.

The two girls also performed readings in the service, including Richard Bach’s The Bridge Across Forever, while Dec read a prayer.

But there were light- hearted touches in the service, too, with Britain’s Got Talent judge David Walliams later saying: “It was very romantic and very fun. They’ve both got great sense of humours.”

‘It was very romantic and fun. They’ve both got great sense of humours’ David Walliams

THE CELEBRATIONS BEGIN

Following the ceremony, the bride and groom were whisked away in a black Rolls- Royce to start the celebrations at the luxury Heckfield Place hotel, a Georgian mansion discreetly located in 400 acres of secluded countryside.

The couple had treated their guests – who included This Morning star Phillip Schofield, TV presenter Cat Deeley and her husband Patrick Kielty and The X Factor host Dermot O’Leary – to a two-night stay and spa treatments at the hotel to help them celebrate.

While the service contained its laughter, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house as the speeches began, with best man Dec, who met Ant in the teen drama Byker Grove in 1990, calling the groom “the best friend a man could have”.

In his own emotional speech, Ant was reported to have alluded to his personal battles over the last few years, which saw him enter rehab for alcohol and prescription drug problems, before saying of his new wife: “This beautiful woman saved my life.”

He also thanked Anne-Marie’s mother Anne for giving him permission to marry her daughter and honoured Poppy and Daisy, saying: “They’re amazing girls and I’m grateful that they call

me ‘Dad’.” In return, his new mother-in-law is said to have thanked him for being a “great stepdad”.

CAKE AND COLDPLAY

After cutting a three-tiered wedding cake, which featured figurines of their dogs Hurley, Milo and Bumble, the newlyweds had their first dance, to a medley of Coldplay hits.

Entertainment included the Abba tribute band Björn Again, while Saturday Night Takeaway star Stephen Mulhern is said to have performed a routine that had the party in fits of laughter.

It was clearly quite a night – hosting the Lorraine show the following Monday, wedding guest Christine Lampard said: “It was a beautiful ceremony, beautiful wedding and clearly an even better night-time party, because not only was I screaming over the music, talking to everybody, but I was obviously singing as well.

“The voice went yesterday,” she added. “It’s slowly coming back today, but if I lose it completely, that’s why.”

‘It was a beautiful wedding and clearly an even better party, because I was obviously singing’ Christine Lampard

After arriving with best man Declan Donnelly (above left), Ant leaves the church of St Michael in Heckfield, Hampshire, hand in hand with his new wife Anne-Marie ‘When Anne-Marie walked into the church, I had to fifight to hold it together as she looked so beautiful’

‘ This beautiful woman saved my life,’ Ant told guests in his emotional speech

Anne-Marie’s touching tribute to her father hangs from her bouquet as 65 she kisses her husband, while Dec’s wife Ali Astall (left, in centre) guides the flower girls, who included their two-year-old daughter Isla. Ant punches the air for joy (above left) and his wife displays her gown (far left)

Christine Lampard dons Oscar de la Renta to celebrate with husband Frank plus fellow guests Cat Deeley and her husband Patrick Kielty (below left) and David Walliams and model Keeley Hazell (below right)

Still friends: Separated couple Phillip Schofield (left) and Stephanie Lowe go into the church

Ant and Dec give cheering fans the thumbs-up (top) before getting the party going with friends including TV presenter Andi Peters (above left) and their Saturday Night Takeaway co-star Stephen Mulhern (above right)

Britain’s Got Talent star Alesha Dixon is a pink lady with husband Azuka Ononye, while Dermot O’Leary and his wife Dee Koppang make a stylish arrival (left)