Perdita
01-03-2010, 05:59
EMMERDALE star Deena Payne has secretly got married - after her boyfriend from glam rock band Sweet proposed by TEXT.
The couple wed in Barbados last month after 21 years together.
Deena, 55 - who plays unlucky-in-love Viv Hope - was stunned when she opened the message from Steve Grant reading: "Will you marry me? x" She said: "I thought he was joking. We'd both been married before and it hadn't worked out so we had a bit of baggage.
"But it seemed the right thing to do. We were planning a special holiday - we'd only done that once since our son Will, now 17, was born - so we thought, 'Let's get married too.'"
They told no one but Will and their mums about the beachfront ceremony to enjoy a private escape. Even Deena's co-stars were kept in the dark.
The actress, who used to be a backing singer for Steve's band, said: "We've had little time to ourselves.
"Steve has been away touring, I've been on Emmerdale and we had Will. There has never been a lot of 'us time'. We wanted time out for the two of us."
Steve, 55 - who joined rockers Sweet in 1996 - mustered up the courage to send the text while on tour in Australia.
And Deena says marriage has given their relationship new strength.
She told Hello! magazine: "At times there was a lot of stress and Steve and I were at loggerheads.
"Now we have a stronger bond. Being married has given us confidence.
"Relationships are hard work. At times I did think Steve and I may not go the distance. Now, though, I can see we will grow old together. And that's a lovely feeling."
Read more: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/tv/soaps/2872111/Emmerdale-Vivs-Sweet-proposal.html#ixzz0gtyN3jT8
The couple wed in Barbados last month after 21 years together.
Deena, 55 - who plays unlucky-in-love Viv Hope - was stunned when she opened the message from Steve Grant reading: "Will you marry me? x" She said: "I thought he was joking. We'd both been married before and it hadn't worked out so we had a bit of baggage.
"But it seemed the right thing to do. We were planning a special holiday - we'd only done that once since our son Will, now 17, was born - so we thought, 'Let's get married too.'"
They told no one but Will and their mums about the beachfront ceremony to enjoy a private escape. Even Deena's co-stars were kept in the dark.
The actress, who used to be a backing singer for Steve's band, said: "We've had little time to ourselves.
"Steve has been away touring, I've been on Emmerdale and we had Will. There has never been a lot of 'us time'. We wanted time out for the two of us."
Steve, 55 - who joined rockers Sweet in 1996 - mustered up the courage to send the text while on tour in Australia.
And Deena says marriage has given their relationship new strength.
She told Hello! magazine: "At times there was a lot of stress and Steve and I were at loggerheads.
"Now we have a stronger bond. Being married has given us confidence.
"Relationships are hard work. At times I did think Steve and I may not go the distance. Now, though, I can see we will grow old together. And that's a lovely feeling."
Read more: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/tv/soaps/2872111/Emmerdale-Vivs-Sweet-proposal.html#ixzz0gtyN3jT8