Fern Weston-Bennett, who appeared on Don't Tell The Bride, has revealed she was the one who signed the couple up for the reality show.
Fern appeared on the BBC Three programme with her then-fiancé Ryan in 2010, after she decided to send an application on a whim. The couple had already been together for three-and-a-half years when they landed a place on the show, which saw Ryan given £12,000 and just three weeks to organise their wedding.
Secret application
Speaking to Zingo Bingo, Fern revealed: "I was obsessed with Don’t Tell The Bride and I watched it every week. It was me that actually sent the email just randomly one night trying to apply. Then we got an interview and went from there."
Fern was just 21 when the pair took part and admitted she was eager to tie the knot with Ryan. "We knew we wanted to get married. But it was all so quick. I was 21 years old and just was honestly so desperate to be married. I wanted something really special," she said.
Planning pressure
Ryan, who was 23 at the time, was left in charge of organising the entire day while Fern had no idea what he was planning. The experience meant there was plenty for the couple to discuss when they were finally reunited after the wedding.
Fern said she had "a lot of questions" for Ryan, including why he had failed to send out the wedding invitations. "He prioritised his fun a lot," she said. Ryan admitted he was still very young at the time, saying: "I was 23 with the brain of a 16 year old. I was living with my best mate."
Positive response
Despite some of the questionable decisions made during the planning process, the couple said their appearance received a largely positive response when the episode aired. Fern said the show was particularly well-known in their hometown of Doncaster and recalled being recognised by members of the public after the programme was broadcast.
"It was all really positive actually, because it was quite a big thing then as well, especially for Doncaster where we were from," she said. "We didn’t have any social media back then, so it could have been so much bigger and better. We went to a festival after the episode aired and people were later recognising us."
Don't Tell The Bride is available to watch on E4.
