exchanged vows in a private ceremony surrounded by her nearest and dearest, but noticeably absent was her co-host
The pair have been a staple on since their property show debuted in 2000 and have since presented numerous spin-offs. Despite their close friendship away from the spotlight, Phil was not present at Kirstie’s surprise nuptials to Ben Andersen.
The revelation came as a shock to fans last week when Kirstie announced she had gotten married, having previously expressed contentment with being “happily unmarried”. The couple, who have been together for 22 years, intended to keep their wedding under wraps until they were spotted at their Mayfair venue.
Their wedding was inspired by the film Love Actually, and Kirstie took control by sharing some personal photos of their unexpected celebration. However, Phil’s absence was noticed, and Kirstie has now shed light on the reason.
“On Thursday, Ben and I were married at The Grosvenor Chapel, where my parents and grandparents were married, and where we celebrated my father’s life in June,” she disclosed to Mail on Sunday. “We already had a big party planned to mark Ben’s birthday, so most of our guests thought that’s what they were coming to celebrate, and we did just that, with lots of food, drink, and dancing and all my nephews and nieces running around, having a ball.”
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Location, Location, Location star Phil Spencer missed his co-star’s wedding (Image: Channel 4 Press)
Kirstie revealed: “The flowers, the catering, the order of service and the lighting were all done by people I have worked with over the years who kept it all secret and put together an amazing event at very short notice, though because of that short notice some beloved friends and family couldn’t be there, including Phil.”
Despite initially keeping her wedding under wraps, the much-loved TV personality shared a snap in a dazzling gold sequin dress, looking joyful beside her groom. Alongside the charming picture, Kirstie remarked: “It’s a huge privilege listening to your son give a speech at your wedding, which is one reason Ben and I are looking so cheery in this picture taken by @catherinebradleyphotography.”
Kirstie tied the knot with Ben Andersen in a secret ceremony (Image: Jabpromotions/Shutterstock)
Explaining her decision to post about the nuptials, Kirstie mentioned: “I share a great deal on here and so appreciate all the kind and interesting comments, but I felt our wedding should be private, and luckily on the day it was.
“Unfortunately it turned out that there was an unseen pap, so I have released a couple of our own pictures. The upside is that at least I get a chance to thank publicly some of the lovely people who worked so hard, at such short notice, to make our wedding pretty special.”
Phil wasn’t present at the nuptials (Image: Getty Images for Cowes Week LTD,)
Kirstie expressed her gratitude to a myriad of individuals who played a part in realising her dream wedding at the eleventh hour, singling out the dressmakers for their swift work in adding sleeves to her gown, which she had snagged on sale just a fortnight prior.
She continued: “To marry in the same church that my parents and grandparents married was always my hope and luckily I already know that we did live happily ever after.”