Corrie's Jim McDonald star marries partner as Eamonn Holmes officiates ceremony

09 October 2023 , 06:05

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Charlie Lawson has secretly married his partner (Image: REX)

Charlie Lawson and his partner of 22 years, Debbie Stanley are now married.

The star who played Jim McDonald on the ITV soap opera Coronation Street and Debbie secretly married weeks before they had a big do with their nearest and dearest. However, their nuptials were far from traditional as former This Morning presenter and Charlie's close friend, Eamonn Holmes was the officiator.

But while Charlie's day was filled with love, it was also the perfect opportunity for him to reunite with his former Corrie co-stars as his on-screen son, Steve McDonald (played by Simon Gregson) acted as his Best Man. Elsewhere, the likes of Vicky Entwistle (Janice Battersby), Alison King (Carla Connor), Claire King (Erica Holroyd), and Kym Marsh (Michelle Connor) also attended the ceremony held at Shrigley Hall Hotel & Spa in Macclesfield, Cheshire.

Charlie Lawson has married for the third time (ITV)

Charlie had been with Debbie for 22 years (Instagram/charliequintinlawson)

Speaking about tying the knot, Charlie told OK! Magazine: "We actually legally got married at Macclesfield Registration Office two weeks before the proper wedding, with just three witnesses, so Eamonn could do the service." Discussing his reaction to seeing Debbie walking down the aisle, he said: "When you've been in love with someone for so long – 22 years – there's still that excitement of waiting to see her, and Debbie looked extraordinary and very beautiful. It was a wonderful moment when she walked down the aisle. I shed a tear."

But neither Charlie nor Debbie, who had Corrie star Alison King as a bridesmaid wanted their day to be emotional, they admit they had hoped it would be "exciting", and exciting it was. Despite torrential rain, Charlie arrived at the stunning venue in a helicopter alongside Gregson but joked he was "fed up" with waiting to see his bride-to-be.

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With Alison serving as a bridesmaid, Debbie had asked her a month prior to the day following several drinks and admits that the pair are "very, very close." Charlie was keen for his pal of three decades Eamonn to officiate his ceremony due to their tight bond and stated that they are "very similar human beings". In the past, Holmes had been involved in the likes of George Best's funeral and Charlie "couldn't think of anyone better to oversee our wedding."

He added: "I'm also terribly aware that Eamonn has had a tough time with his health over the past couple of years, and I felt this would give him a bit of a lift. It transpired he was quite nervous about the whole thing, but he's messaged us since and said it was one of the best days he's ever had because everyone was very kind to him."

While the happy couple and their guests partied until 4am, there was no divide in the room between the soap actors and Charlie and Debbie's friends, as the pair admitted that everybody mingled amongst one another as they danced the night away. However, Charlie admits he wished the likes of Beverly Callard (Liz McDonald), Sarah Lancashire (Raquel Watts) and Bill Roache (Ken Barlow) could have been there but due to scheduling commitments, it was not possible.

Daniel Bird