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AS celebrity weddings go, few have been more scandal-hit than the nuptials of Adam Peaty and Holly Ramsay.

From the bride not inviting her future mother-in-law to her hen do and the Olympian uninviting his family, to Adam’s aunt posting her feelings about the whole tawdry affair online, it has been the showbiz gossip gift that keeps on giving.

And to top it all off, the groom went the full Brooklyn Beckham by changing his name to Adam Ramsay Peaty,

But the marriage of swimmer Adam to Gordon Ramsay’s daughter Holly isn’t the first celeb wedding to be filled with scandal.

From Hollywood bigamy and a bride having to pee in a bucket, to stag do misdemeanours, celebrity weddings have more drama than an Eastenders Christmas special.

Here we take a look at some of the wedding scandals that engulfed some of showbiz’s biggest stars.

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Meghan Markle and Prince Harry

The world was thrilled when Prince Harry and American actress Meghan announced their engagement.

But things quickly soured with allegations that Meghan had made Princess Catherine cry over Charlotte’s bridesmaid dress and that the bride was demanding to wear a particular Royal tiara on her big day.

And it was going to go from bad to worse as Meghan’s dad Thomas Markle started to speak to the press.

He was then promptly cut off by his daughter.

In the end the only member of the bride’s family to attend the Royal wedding was Meghan’s mother Doria Ragland – with all the Markles crossed off the guest list.

The King then ended up giving his future daughter-in-law away.

But as we all know the wedding wasn’t the last scandal to hit the newlyweds as they chose to step away from Royal life, flee the UK, and appear to have a strained relationship with the rest of the Royal family.

Brian McFadden and Kerry Katona

Westlife star Brian and Atomic Kitten Kerry seemed like a match made in pop heaven.

The showbiz couple said ‘I do” in a grand ceremony at Slane Castle, Ireland, in 2002.

But behind their glitzy bash, which was said to have cost £100,000, Brian was keeping a secret.

Newlywed Kerry later discovered that her husband had cheated on her with a stripper on his stag do.

The couple divorced after two years together and Kerry later said she was ‘mortified’ by Brian’s infidelity. 

“I only found out after we got married. The girl he had cheated on me with was a lap dancer and he had made her sign an NDA and paid her 15 grand to keep her mouth shut,” she explained.

Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds

It wasn’t long after tying the knot with Ryan Reynolds that actress Blake Lively found herself having to avert disaster – but not the romantic kind. 

Distracted by Florence Welch singing at her reception, it took some time for her to notice that a sparkler had burnt a hole into the front of her one of a kind Marchesa silk gown.

“I look down and my wedding dress has a big burn mark from one of the sparklers. Right on the front! And it was just so heartbreaking to me,” she told Vogue.

But new hubby Ryan turned it into a positive, later telling her the burn was “beautiful” adding: “You’ll always remember that moment with Florence singing and the sparklers. You have that forever, right there, preserved.”

She told Vogue: “Now that’s my favourite part of the dress.”

Bill Wyman and Mandy Smith

When the former Rolling Stone first met Mandy she was just 13 years old and he was 47.

Wyman wrote in his 1990 autobiography: “She took my breath away…she was a woman at thirteen.”

The relationship only became public two-and-a-half years later, when she reached the age of 16.

Despite the controversy around their relationship they wed in 1989 when Mandy was 18.

But she moved out just weeks after the wedding and they divorced two years later.

Even so, the scandal kept on rolling. In 1993, in a bizarre twist, Wyman’s 30-year-old son from his first marriage, Stephen, married Mandy’s mother, Patsy, who was then aged 46. However, they split after two years.

Bethenny Frankel and Jason Hoppy

When you gotta go, you gotta go. And during her 2010 wedding to Jason Hoppy, entrepreneur and TV star Bethenny Frankel got the call of nature that just could not wait. 

Frankel, who was seven and a half months pregnant at the time, was wearing a form-fitting gown and could not easily make the trek to a proper bathroom without being seen by guests.

Her wedding planner, Shawn Rabideau, retrieved a silver champagne bucket for her to use. 

So Frankel peed in the bucket while her assistant and her wedding planner held up the dress. 

And the special moment was captured for posterity by the TV cameras for her reality show Bethenny Getting Married.

Britney Spears and Jason Alexander

Fans were shocked when Britney and her childhood friend Jason Alexander tied the knot at the Little White Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas in 2004.

Britney later said she was just ‘drunk and bored’ after a while night out with Alexander.

The horrified Spears team quickly arranged for an annulment, claiming she lacked understanding of her actions, which was granted within 55 hours. 

But the drama would come back to haunt her years later.

On the day of Britney’s 2022 wedding to Sam Asghari, Alexander showed up at her home, livestreaming on Instagram as he tried to “crash” the event.

He was arrested, charged with trespassing, battery, and vandalism, and received a restraining order from Spears. He served around two months in jail.

Liz Taylor and Eddie Fisher

Where do we start with Liz? She is the undisputed queen of weddings having walked down the aisle no less than eight times.

But her most scandalous is undoubtedly her 1959 union with Eddie Fisher who she began an affair with after the death of her husband Mike Todd.

The only problem was that Fisher was still married to Debbie Reynolds.

Then in 1962 Taylor started having an affair with Richard Burton – while still married to Fisher.

Andy Carroll and Billi Mucklow

The footballer was all set to marry TOWIE star Billi in 2022 when photos emerged of Carroll passed out with two women in a Dubai hotel room on his stag do.

Heartbroken Billi promptly whipped off her engagement ring and moved out. 

But the two women involved came forward to say that nothing sexual had occurred and in fact Andy had been a complete gent.

So Billi forgave Andy and they wed at the five-star Four Seasons Hotel in Hampshire.

But their happiness was short-lived and they split in 2024.

Olivier Sarkozy & Mary Kate Olsen

Most brides spend months agonising over the perfect theme, colour scheme and decorations for their big day.

But it seems Mary-Kate Olsen wanted to keep it simple for her wedding to Olivier Sarkozy. 

According to the New York Post, the couple opted to adorn their reception room with “bowls and bowls filled with cigarettes”.

How romantic.

Shania Twain’s ultimate revenge

When country star Shania’s first husband Mutt Lange had an affair with her best friend and assistant Marie-Anne Thiebaud she was understandably devastated.

It was Marie-Anne’s husband Frédéric who first discovered the affair.

According to the Daily Mail, he found strange hotel receipts, phone bills, and even a lingerie set in his wife’s suitcase.

Shania and Frederic turned to each other for support during their marriage breakdowns – and ended up falling in love themselves.

They married on New Year’s Day 2011 – in the ultimate revenge act.

Despite the behind-the-scenes difficulties, I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! star Jack Osbourne said he had a “great time” on the show and is “glad” he did it

I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! 2025 star Jack Osbourne said he “lost [his] s**t” with show producers, following technical difficulties during filming. The 40-year-old impressed hosts Ant and Dec, as well as viewers, with his bravery throughout the series, particularly when he earned all 12 stars for camp in an underwater challenge.

As part of his stint, the reality star also took part in a Dark Room Challenge alongside Shona McGarty, Eddie Kadi and Lisa Riley, where they had the opportunity to win photos from home.

During the task, the group was split into pairs: one pair entered a dark gallery to describe framed pictures to their teammates, while the other two searched the unlit room for matching photos based on those descriptions.

Each team had to find and match the correct photos in complete darkness, with limited visibility and creatures dropped on them in true I’m A Celebrity style.

Reflecting on this challenge, the Osbournes star said there was a tense moment during filming that wasn’t shown to viewers.

According to Jack, he and other campmates had to redo a part of a challenge due to technical difficulties.

Discussing his experience on the Trying Not To Die Podcast, the son of Sharon Osbourne and the late Ozzy Osbourne said: “I got really p****d at one point and went f*****g nuts.

“What happened was, I got selected to go and do a challenge, not a trial, and it was an opportunity to win pictures from home.

“I had to stick my hands in these boxes overhead that had these heavy light switches.”

While trying to complete the mission however, the reality star said there were “problems” with the trial and he kept having to stop and start.

“I’d be in there doing it and it wasn’t working correctly, I’d be getting eaten to s**t,” he recalled.

“And so I had to go in three times to do it and I just lost my s**t, I was like, ‘What the f**k is going on?’

“They were like, ‘Sorry it’s technical problems’ and this, that and the other and I just said, ‘This is b******t’.

“I was like, ‘I’m not earning anything more by keep going in because you guys didn’t properly prep this and test it, I’m having to get eaten alive by these crazy ants’.”

Jack said he had been so badly bitten by green ants after 15 minutes that he looked like he had “chickenpox.”

He continued: “It was late, it was at night, there were clearly some technical problems but I just didn’t like that they weren’t being straight up about it.

“Just be honest and be like, ‘Hey there’s a problem, we f****d it up, we didn’t get the shots we needed, can you just go back in please? We know it’s horrible’. I lost it.”

Reach PLC have contacted a representative for ITV for comment.

Despite these technical challenges, Jack said he is “glad” he did the show and had “a great time”.

Following his exit from the jungle, he reunited with his campmates for the Coming Out programme after Angry Ginge was crowned the new King of the Jungle.

CELEBRITY make-up artist and reality TV star Jasen Kaplan has died, as Kelly Osbourne grieves the loss of her “dear friend”.

The beloved entertainment industry heavyweight sadly passed away on Wednesday in a New York City hospital.

NYPD said they were investigating the death of a man at Kaplan’s apartment building.

The chief medical examiner is still yet to determine the cause of death.

Kaplan, 46, has been remembered by his long-time friend Kelly Osbourne.

“I’m devastated. I love you so much,” Osbourne, 41, wrote on Instagram.

“Thank you for all the love, laughter and joy you brought [to] my life. I hope you are at peace now.

“Life will never be the same without you! RIP my dear friend.”

Osbourne recalled her friend to be the funniest person she knew.

“You were the best wing man a girl could ask for. 25 years of friendship and every second was worth it,” she wrote.

Kaplan made a name for himself when he started working with Brittny and Lisa Gastineau on their 2005 show “Gastineau Girls.”

He went on to become the go-to makeup artist for many celebrities, including Cyndi Lauper, Eva Longoria and Lynda Carter.

He did The Real Housewives of New York City alum Tinsley Mortimer’s makeup for her wedding to Robert Bovard in 2023.

More recently, Kaplan had the chance to work with Bethenny Frankel on numerous campaigns with brands like MCoBeauty and Terez clothing.

He had a strong social media presence, with over 95.4K followers on Instagram, sharing makeup tips and his work wit celebrity clients and brands.

He was the “father” to his beloved dog Coco, understood to be the “love of his life” and featured heavily on his social media.

Kaplan was a contestant on “Finding Prince Charming” , a gay bachelor-style dating show which aired in 2016.

His bio for the show read: “He has a great sense of humor but isn’t afraid to say what’s on his mind. He’s bright, exuberant and completely comfortable with himself.

“Although he is a total flirt and loves dating apps, he’ll only take a relationship to the next level if he really feels like he’s in love.”

He was eliminated in episode two.

OUR team of intrepid showbiz reporters have brought you all the latest on the Brooklyn Beckham saga, blow by blow accounts of JoJo Siwa dumping her girlfriend for Chris Hughes and we broke the news about Danny Jones kissing Maura Higgins to name just a few astonishing showbiz scoops from 2025.

But while we’ve been filling the paper and gracing the internet with story after story, there’s actually been A LOT we haven’t told you… until now.

We may not be able to name names. but we CAN give you all the dirty secrets the stars definitely don’t want you to know… Prepare to be shocked.

A SCARY TYPE OF LOVE 

We shook our heads in disbelief when we were told all a Love Islander had a violent criminal family member.

No wonder her boyfriend was scared to dump her despite seeming completely over her as their romance hit the rocks. Once he’d heard about the jailed man’s crimes, he’d be scared to upset her.

GUILTY GIFT 

One huge reality star managed to keep the details of an explosive breakup with her ex under wraps.

It’s known that she cheated on her former flame before their split, but what remains secret is that the person she cheated with was married, and their affair sparked a very messy divorce. Worse still, the star was gifted a Rolex from her lover… which belonged to his wife.

HOT AND STEAMY

One former I’m A Celebrity star has been using the sauna at a well known private members club for their illicit hookups.

Fellow members are thought to have been shocked when they spotted him, but have quickly got used to his steamy antics. 

THEY’VE GOT THE SAME TYPE

These two TV stars appeared blissfully happy when they got wed but we were told they were both having it off with the same bloke before the big day.

Affairs are nothing new but it turns out these two had no idea they were copping off with the same person. When that gossip finally filters back, we expect divorce papers to be drawn up pretty fast.

MONEY TALKS

Tis the season to be jolly, but we can reveal a well known BBC star turned into a real life Grinch after attending an Uber Xmas party where guests were given one box containing an uber code.

After making full use of the free bar this person proceeded to nab the lot and hastily open them all in the lift…

NOT SURE PICTURE PERFECT

Our jaws hit the floor when we were told all about the well-loved female BBC star who showed an explicit and unwanted picture of a penis to a junior member of staff.

The woman, who ranked among the Corporation’s top 50 highest paid this year, asked the junior member of staff about her preferences and then showed her a nude image on her mobile phone.

But her actions were considered so offensive that the female talent was called in by execs and asked to apologise.

PARTY POOPER

It’s not just celebs who haven’t been on their best behaviour this year. The father of one very well-known bride caused a scene at her wedding by getting smashed and being inappropriate with female guests.

He spent the rest of the next day hungover and phoning round everyone apologising. 

REALITY BITES

One reality star was shouting from the roof tops when she got a new man this year.

But when the latest love of her life didn’t turn up for her birthday party, she wasted no time in hopping into bed with her ex – that very same night. And her new bloke is still none the wiser. 

TELLING TALES

Celebs will do anything to keep themselves out of the news  – like the TV star who was caught getting up to no good in the toilet. Let’s just say she looked a little too familiar with a little bag of white stuff.

She begged for her secret to be kept hidden and offered up some scandal on another star, one of her pals, instead. No wonder they say keep your enemies closer. 

FORGET the Oscars, these are the gongs that matter: The Biz on Sunday Awards for 2025.

It’s been another epic year in showbiz, and today we look back at the best, and worst, of it.

From Katy Perry’s space voyage to Alan Carr winning The Celebrity Traitors, here is our round-up . . .

REUNION OF THE YEAR

WHEN Noel and Liam Gallagher walked out on stage together for the first time in 16 years, Oasis fans around the world breathed a huge sigh of relief.

The brothers finally put their long-running feud behind them and took us back to the Nineties with their Live ’25 Tour.

After 41 dates, spanning 13 countries on five continents, it is safe to say that their reunion will be talked about for years to come.

MR AND MRS

Adam Peaty and Holly Ramsay wed with his sister as bridesmaid amid feud

CHRISTMAS CRACKER

Rhian Sugden looks incredible in knickers and ‘naughty but nice’ crop top

Here’s hoping that 2026 holds even more for Oasis.

MOMENT OF THE YEAR

POP star Katy Perry proved she was out of this world when she soared 62 miles above Earth in April.

The American singer went into space on Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin rocket with an all-female crew, and promised that a song inspired by the trip was on its way.

But critics branded her part in the mission “tone deaf” in light of the world’s economic struggles.

FALL OF THE YEAR

McFLY singer Danny Jones and Love Island beauty Maura Higgins certainly had a rocky start to 2025.

After both appeared in ITV’s I’m A Celebrity . . . Get Me Out Of Here! in 2024, they were spotted together at a Brit Awards after-party in March – and married guitarist Danny was filmed kissing single Maura.

Luckily for Danny, his loyal wife, model Georgia, later forgave him.

Hopefully he will be on his very best behaviour next year.

SPLIT OF THE YEAR

LILY ALLEN proved that revenge is a dish best served cold – following her split from Stranger Things star David Harbour.

The British pop star laid bare her marriage breakdown through 14 tracks on her album West End Girl, which was released in October.

Lily’s tell-all lyrics came after months of hints about her toxic split with American David last December, amid rumours she caught him cheating.

If the album is anything to go by, her West End Girl tour will be one to remember.

TV TWIST OF THE YEAR

THE Celebrity Traitors was the year’s biggest TV show – with 12million viewers tuning in to watch Alan Carr win.

The comedian became the standout star of the series after “murdering” his best mate Paloma Faith – and having the worst poker face at the round tables.

Alan will be forever remembered as the best and worst Traitor in BBC history.

COUPLE OF THE YEAR

TAYLOR SWIFT and Travis Kelce broke the internet in August when the announcement of their engagement scored 37million likes on Instagram.

In a joint post, US hitmaker Taylor was pictured surrounded by flowers, with her American football star boyfriend on one knee, and a cryptic caption quipped: “Your English teacher and your gym teacher are getting married.”

The couple, below, first sparked rumour of a romance when Taylor was spotted watching a Kansas City Chiefs game in 2023.

If the engagement is anything to go by, this is going to be the wedding of the century.

UNLIKELY NEW ROMANCE

HE is Britain’s most eligible pop star – so when Harry Styles stepped out with Catwoman Zoe Kravitz in Rome in August, fans went wild.

The As It Was singer was seen walking arm-in-arm with US actress Zoe through the streets of the Italian capital.

Could we see a diamond ring in the new year?

ARIANA GETS A GRANDE HOTEL

ARIANA GRANDE seems to be planning a Wicked time during her rumoured West End stint — including a £1million hotel stay.

I hear the US singer and actress, who is tipped to star in a revival of hit musical Sunday In The Park With George, has included accommodation at the 5H Mandarin Oriental among conditions for her potentially taking the role.

Penthouses at the Hyde Park hotel start from £40,000 a night.

The three-bedroom suite is almost 5,000sq ft, with a walk-in wardrobe and grandstand private terrace.

If the play runs for six weeks, Ariana’s hotel bill would run to more than £1million.

Fans believe she is set to star in a revival of Stephen Sondheim’s 1984 musical Sunday In The Park With George at London’s Barbican Centre in 2027.

If so, she would line up alongside Jonathan Bailey, who played her Wicked character Glinda’s love interest.

A source said: “Ariana wants to stay at the Mandarin when she stars in the play.

“She really appreciates her downtime when she is working on productions and is a huge fan of the hotel.

“Ariana loves London and believes that the Mandarin Oriental has the city’s best views.”

Meanwhile she is nominated for Best Supporting Actress in Wicked: For Good at the Golden Globes in January.

She will then start her The Eternal Sunshine Tour in June, in Oakland, California, to support her album of the same name.

Sounds like she deserves some five-star R&R.

GET READY FOR A HARRY NEW YEAR

HARRY STYLES has given his most telling clue yet that he is preparing for a comeback.

He put on his YouTube channel a clip from his final Love On Tour gig, in 2023 in Italy – and the post was cryptically titled, “Forever, forever”, with text declaring: “We belong together.” He is at the piano, sparkling in gold.

It comes amid rumours of a fourth solo album – and a stage return.

The former One Direction star released his last album, Harry’s House, in 2022.

Looks like 2026 will be his year.

The radio host and her producer boyfriend kept their relationship on the down low but are now celebrating their happy news.

Congratulations are in order as Kemi Rodgers, host of I’m A Celebrity: Unpacked, has announced she is engaged after her boyfriend Thomas Hannett proposed during a trip to Australia.

The radio presenter, 30, shared the happy news with fans over the weekend, posting a series of photos to Instagram showing off her engagement ring. In one snap, Kemi beamed as she held up her hand, while another captured the couple enjoying their time abroad.

Kemi, who hosts Unpacked alongside Joel Dommett, was in Australia for the duration of the series, which started on 19 November and ended on 7 December with YouTube star Angryginge taking the crowd.

She captioned the post: “I said yes.” Friends and celebrity colleagues were quick to flood the comments with congratulatory messages. Coronation Street actor Colson Smith wrote: “Congratulations Kemi!”

Capital FM star and This Morning host Sian Welby reacted with excitement, posting: “OMGGGG INCREDIBLE.” Former X Factor contestant Sam Lavery added: “OMG YESSSSS.” While Capital FM presenter Jordan North also shared his delight, commenting: “OMG! Congratulations guys.”

Thomas, who is a senior producer at Capital, and Kemi’s engagement comes just weeks after she revealed that they had actually been dating for over a year. The couple only went public with their relationship in September, when they shared photos from a romantic trip to Paris.

At the time, Kemi explained they had chosen to keep things private before stepping into the spotlight together.

In a short video shared on her Instagram page, Kemi and Thomas could be seen in Paris having a drink at a low-key restaurant as they enjoyed the weather.

They used the famous TikTok audio featuring a person’s voice saying: “Are you happy to be in Paris?”, which Thomas lip-synced before Kemi, 30, said: “Oui.” In the caption, she wrote: “Wine drunk in paris and thought the best way to hard launch my boyfriend on the grid was with the iconic nicki minaj ‘oui’ video loooooool.”

She added: “Full bottle of sancerre in the sun truly is the key to my heart.”

Friends and fans were delighted by the launch and took to the comment section to congratulate the pair. One pal wrote: “The hard launch we’ve all been waiting for,” and another said: “Finally.”

Last year, Kemi joined Sam Thompson and Joel Dommett in hosting a I’m A Celebrity spin-off show called Unpacked, four years after companion show Extra Camp was axed.

Mirror reporter Julia Banim enjoyed a winter spa break at A-list favourite and foodie haven Carden Park, and a little bit of drizzle did nothing to dampen her spirits

With Christmas fast approaching, I was fortunate enough to enjoy a winter spa break at a hotel beloved by celebs, and I’m happy to say it’s not down south.

Nestled in the Cheshire countryside, Carden Park is reportedly a favourite of A-lister couples such as Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively, as well as Molly-Mae Hague and Tommy Fury. And the spa garden, complete with jacuzzis, fire pits, and heated glass pods, may well leave you feeling like you’re on a very high-end version of Love Island.

Back when I’m A Celebrity was filmed in North Wales during the pandemic, Carden Park even served as a plush eviction hotel for booted off campmates. It must have felt like a true haven for contestants after their insect infested ordeal, but what does this glam retreat have to offer for an average Joe such as myself?

READ MORE: EasyJet currently has flights from £23.99 to heaps of winter sun hotspots for 2026

Situated in complete seclusion amid lush green grounds, it’s no wonder that stars favour this haven of relaxation, which feels a world away from the bustle of city life. But, with pretty Chester and the bargain heaven that is Cheshire Oaks just around the corner, shopaholics won’t have much to complain about.

If you listen carefully during the sweeping drive through the grounds, you may well hear the gentle putt of a golf ball, but today, I’m in no mood for sport. It’s time to completely unwind and put all the stresses of the dark and gloomy season aside.

The spa building is separate from the hotel, an elegant, immaculate building which smells heavenly. The staff are warm and welcoming, and the bathrobes are soft and fluffy. I’m here on a girls’ weekend with my mum and my sister, and I can’t think of a better place to natter the day away over some celebratory fizz.

Now, stripping to your swimsuit on a drizzly November day isn’t for the faint-hearted, but I can assure you that once you slip your shoulders under the waters of the vitality pool, you’re absolutely away.

The sky is clear and blue, and I can barely tear myself away from my tranquil spot for my spa treatment, a wonderfully indulgent 50-minute Time-to-Pause ritual treatment, which left my sunlight-deprived skin glowing and petal soft.

Admittedly, I sometimes struggle to drift off during spa treatments and find myself anxiously making to-do lists in my head, but here I found myself almost completely disconnected from the world.

It certainly helps that, after you’re done with treatments, you have a choice of relaxation rooms to unwind in before entering reality. This includes a sensory room, complete with soothing screen, and, my personal favourite, the deep relaxation room, where the crackling fire offered a very seasonal feel.

Famished from all my ‘lady of leisure-ing’, I head for lunch at Elements, where we enjoy matching, and tasty, Tandoori Chicken Open Sandwiches overlooking the spa garden, washed down with some of the most delicious peach mimosas I’ve ever had. Any future visitors should make sure to grab a portion of the salt and pepper chips – a truly sensational side, and even better than your favourite chippy.

Even in what can feel like the greyest time of the year, the floor-to-ceiling windows let in plenty of light, and for a moment I feel as though we were back on holiday with a whole week of sunshine ahead of us.

The waiters also couldn’t be more lovely, even phoning down to the spa garden’s Bollinger champagne bar to ensure we had hot chocolate treats waiting for us when we returned. Very welcome when wearing flips in November.

Full from our hearty lunch, we head back down to the spa garden, to luxuriate in one of the glass pods with our hot chocs. Although we are already quite comfortable, a member of the bar staff came over with cuddly hot water bottles for us – a very sweet touch.

The bar is described as running in ‘all-weather’, and we certainly didn’t feel any less pampered for a bit of chill. That being said, we are Northern, and Southerners may well feel differently.

The afternoon soon melts away as we set about the very important task of trying out the spacious jacuzzis, plus the outdoor sauna, with its floor-to-ceiling window. It’s life I could very easily get used to. While we don’t mind a spot of drizzle, when it starts to rain, we head inside to the Indoor Thermal Suite.

While I would be more than happy with just the one sauna, Carden Park offers a relative gallery of thermal experiences, from a Finnish sauna to a Tepidarium, all encircling a sparkling ice fountain.

There are even two steam rooms to choose from – salt and aroma. I particularly enjoy the indoor vitality pool, which looks out over the garden and offers gorgeous therapeutic jets of bubbles.

I could happily float around gossiping in the vitality pool for hours, but it’s time to dry off and get glammed up for the next part of our dreamy day – dinner. We’re set to dine at Carden Park’s award-winning à la carte restaurant, The Vines, which has a swish yet welcoming feel.

Typically of me, I’ve forgotten my posh shoes and have to borrow some smart boots from my much more organised mum (this isn’t somewhere you stomp in with your muddy trainers!).

I am touched, however, by staff reassurances that they would have sorted me out with suitable shoes in a pinch, which definitely helps alleviate my embarrassment.

Carden Park Hotel is tastefully decorated, with a cosy feel perfect for blustery winter nights. But The Vines elevates this to a whole new level of elegance. Atmospheric, yet never daunting, we are made to feel at home, and there is a gently lively buzz to the room. The sort of sparkle you hope for any chatty girls’ night, albeit far posher than my usual Saturday.

The staff, are friendly and attentive, – an ongoing theme – while every single course on our taster menu is nothing short of superb. Even the freshly baked bread and butter is memorable.

There’s a real northern, comforting sense to the menu – the BBQ Cheshire Venison Loin is sublime – and there’s plenty of experimentation, with intriguing flavour inspirations from far and wide.

The roasted monkfish on the bones, served with bombay potatoes and a tasty coconut and kaffir lime sauce, is a real highlight. And I have to admit, even though I initially feel a little squeamish tucking into the chicken & rabbit galantine, this is dreamy.

Each dish is paired with a delicious drink, explained to us by the very knowledgable sommelier. I particularly love how creative these pairings were, with the sweet Hungarian Tokaji wine, which accompanies the caramelised apple pie, being my absolute favourite.

It’s always a surprise to me that this honeyed drink, which I can’t get enough of when in Budapest, hasn’t become fashionable among chic sorts in the UK yet.

In terms of my personal ranking, this is closely followed by the Brown Butter XO cocktail, served alongside the Banana & Popcorn Iced Parfait, which tastes like a desert in itself. There should be far more buttery cocktails in my opinion.

Although I try to pace myself, this is a table filled with temptation and I happily enjoy every drop. Really, is there a more blissful evening than sitting with two of your favourite people, enjoying a range of novel yet tasty treats? I think not.

When the time comes to leave the restaurant, I practically waddle to my room. I have a large appetite, and proud of it, but this hearty taster menu has defeated me. Thankfully, my room is clean, comfortable and with deep plush pillows. I’m soon enjoying the easy sleep of the truly rested.

Although I’ve enjoyed some lovely spa days in my time, I have to say nothing has ever come close to Carden Park. The setting is idyllic, the facilities are extensive, and every inch feels immaculate and well thought out.

Not to mention, the culinary experiences on offer are just as special as those found in the spa treatment rooms. Foodies, bring your appetites.

I will treasure my memories of Carden Park, and wholeheartedly recommend it as a winter bolthole, whether for a pre-Christmas getaway or January detox.

There are currrently plenty of packages on offer, including the Indulgent Spa Day pacakge for £299, and the A Little Winter Love Morning Spa Experience for £195. Find out more on the Carden Park website.

Do you have a story to share? Email me at julia.banim@reachplc.com

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