Coronation Street icon Charlie Lawson marries fiancée Debbie Stanley in huge ceremony with Eamonn Holmes and soap stars | The Sun
CORONATION Street legend Charlie Lawson has married fiancée Debbie Stanley surrounded by soap icons.
The actor, who is best known for playing fiery patriarch Jim McDonald, tied the knot with his long-term partner at the stunning Shrigley Hall Hotel & Spa in Cheshire.
Charlie's close pal Eamonn Holmes officiated the ceremony, while Steve McDonald actor Simon Gregson, Janice Battersby star Vicky Entwistle, Carla Connor actress Alison King and Kym Marsh were all in attendance.
Emmerdale stalwart Claire King, Slade's Noddy Holder and This Morning couple The Speakmans were also there to celebrate the special day.
Charlie, 64, and Debbie, 59, who have been together for 22 years, officially became man and wife weeks earlier at Macclesfield Registry Office.
The Northern Irishman, who arrived at the hotel in a chopper, was typically straight-talking when it came to their second ceremony.
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He told OK!: "I just wanted to get on with it. Getting actors together is like herding cats.
"We could have done the wedding two weeks ago, but we had to see who could make it.
"On the day of the wedding, when we were preparing to fly in the helicopter, I was fed up with waiting – it couldn’t happen quick enough for me."
However, he did show his softer side when his bride walked down the aisle in a stunning white dress.
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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."
Charlie said he couldn't think of anyone better to oversee the wedding than Eamonn and he hoped the day gave him a lift following his recent health struggles.
Simon Gregson, who played Charlie's son Steve in the Cobbles, took on best man duties after fellow actor Neil Morrissey was unable to make the day due to work commitments in the West End.
It all worked out perfectly in the end, with Simon bringing the house down with a hilarious and, at times, touching speech for his longtime pal.
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."
More than 200 people ended up celebrating late into the night, and Kym performed Hear'Say's smash hit Pure and Simple.
Fun-loving Charlie and Debbie partied past 4am, finishing the night drinking champagne with Vicky.
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