The tears were flowing as Corrie's Simon Gregson made an emotional best man speech at the wedding of his on-screen dad, Charlie Lawson, who played Jim McDonald on Coronation Street.
Simon, 49, has been friends with Charlie, 63, since they met, when Simon was aged just 14. And he certainly delivered when making his best man speech at the nuptials for his TV dad, which took place at Shrigley Hall in Cheshire.
The speech was, in equal parts, emotional and hilarious, with Simon getting the crowd crying and laughing, with bride Debbie labelling it as 'unbelievable'.
Simon, who plays Steve McDonald in Coronation Street, wasn't the first choice to be best man, however, Charlie was thrilled when he stepped up to the plate.
Charlie said: "My great friend Neil Morrissey couldn’t make the wedding as he’s starring in a West End show, so Simon stepped in to fill the best man position – and I wasn’t remotely disappointed. I’ve known Simon since he was 14, he’s a great friend and did a fantastic job."
Talking about his speech, bride Debbie said: "Simon’s speech was unbelievable. He spends a lot of time at home with us so he knows us really well. He joked about some of the things he was going to say, and I told him, 'No, please don’t say things like that.' But he’s a comedian, so it was really funny. But everyone was crying at the emotional parts, too.
Charlie and Debbie’s officiator was none other than daytime TV royalty Eamonn Holmes, a close pal of the groom for more than 30 years. And Charlie – who played Corrie ’s Jim McDonald from 1989 until 2000 – couldn’t have been more thrilled by Eamonn’s attendance.
“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,” he told OK!.
Charlie, 64, and Essex-born Debbie, 59, who works for a domestic violence organisation, have been together forv22 years and tied the knot at Shrigley Hall Hotel & Spa in Cheshire, a Georgian stately home near Macclesfield. Set in 262 acres of immaculate grounds, it provided the perfect backdrop to their star-studded proceedings.
The wedding was a veritable who’s who of soap legends, with 68 guests at the ceremony – including Debbie’s daughter Sophia and grandsons Reuben and Noah – and a further 200 showing up for the post-wedding party.
Former Corrie stars Kym Marsh (Michelle Connor) and Vicky Entwhistle (Janice Battersby), plus Emmerdale ’s Claire King (Kim Tate) were also there to support their longtime pals.
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