
Claire Sweeney reunites with pal Jessie Wallace at DJ Fat Tony's wedding as they celebrate 23 years of friendship with sweet throwback
shared a sweet throwback snap with pal Jessie Wallace as she celebrated 23 years of friendship after reuniting at a star-studded wedding over the weekend.
The Coronation Street star, 54, took to Instagram with before-and-after pictures of the beaming pair over two decades apart.
In the first picture Claire and fellow soap star Jessie, 53, wore black outfits while attending Liza Minelli's birthday party back in 2003.
The second shot was taken on Saturday, capturing the duo in glamorous looks while attending the star-studded wedding of DJ Fat Tony and fiancé Stavros Agapiou.
Sharing a heartfelt tribute to her long-time friend, Claire wrote: 'These pics are taken 23 years apart.
From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new Showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop.
'The first pic at Liza Minelli's birthday party 2003, second one last night at @dj_fattony_ @stavrosagapiou wedding.
'We always laugh so much when we get together, love you loads @jessicawallace_official older, wiser, and more sparkly ❤️.'
Tony, 58, and Stavros, 32, have been engaged since October 2023 and walked down the aisle in a lavish London ceremony this weekend.
Kate Moss and Gemma Collins reportedly acted as bridesmaids while A-listers including Boy George, Davina McCall, David and Victoria Beckham, and Kylie Minogue were also slated to attend.
As the festivities got underway, Claire took to Instagram to share some very glamorous photographs from her hotel room.
Claire - who was also thought to be serving as a bridesmaid - was joined by her son Jaxon, 13, who she shares with her ex Daniel Reilly, and Boy George while getting ready.
For the occasion, Claire cut a glamorous figure in a plunging silver sequinned gown embellished with floral patterns and waterfall feathered sleeves.
She let her outfit do all the talking as she accessorised with a crucifix pendant and styled her golden tresses poker straight.
Claire was every inch the proud mother as she stood beside her son Jaxon, who wore a black tuxedo and a red bowtie.
They were both joined by singer Boy George, 63, who has long been a very close friend of groom DJ Tony's.
Boy George showed off his signature style in a patterned shirt and a black blazer and trousers, which he styled with dark trainers.
The Karma Chameleon hitmaker, who Tony asked to be his best man, completed his look with a signature blue hat and dramatic smokey eyeshadow.
Earlier in the day, Claire also posted a video of herself of her and Jaxon heading to the wedding in a taxi.
She panned around to show the sights of London before giving a glimpse at Jaxon sitting suited and booted beside her.
'We are on the way to DJ Fat Tony's wedding, you're looking lovely Jaxon,' Claire said.
Just hours ahead of his nuptials, DJ Fat Tony gushed over the 'happiest chapter of my life'.
Fat Tony, real name Tony Marnach, shared a sweet Instagram post that read, 'Love Wins' just hours ahead of his wedding.
Tony added in the caption: 'Here we stand at the beginning... The happiest chapter of my life x'
With Tony being hugely popular on the celebrity circuit, it's little surprise that the nuptials hosted an eclectic star-studded guestlist and an A-list performance from none other than Kylie Minogue for the evening celebrations, according to reports.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Sky News
8 minutes ago
- Sky News
Charities welcome half a million more children being eligible for free school meals
Charities and school leaders have welcomed free school meals being opened up to more than half a million extra children. The government has announced it will make children in all households on universal credit in England eligible for free school meals from September 2026. Parents will be nearly £500 better off each year because of the change, the Department for Education said. Currently, only pupils from households with an income of less than £7,400 a year are eligible for free school meals, meaning hundreds of thousands of children living in poverty do not have access to them. The latest figures, from January 2024, show 2.1m children were eligible for free school meals - 24.6% of all pupils in England. The government has not said how it will fund another 500,000 children's school meals. It also claimed the eligibility expansion would lift 100,000 children across England completely out of poverty, but did not provide details of how. Charities broadly welcomed the change, with The Children's Society calling it a "practical, compassionate step that will make a real difference". Chief executive Mark Russell said it is a move his charity has been pushing for and would lift thousands of children out of hunger and help ease the pressure on households struggling to make ends meet. The Child Poverty Action Group said it was "fantastic news and a game-changer for children and families". "We hope this is a sign of what's to come in autumn's child poverty strategy, with government taking more action to meet its manifesto commitment to reduce child poverty in the UK," Kate Anstey, head of education policy, said. School leaders' union NAHT welcomed the change but asked for the government to introduce "auto-enrolment so no child entitled to a free meal misses out". NAHT general secretary Paul Whiteman added: "It's vital that this positive extension of free school meals is backed up by other tangible measures which help lift even more children out of poverty when the government's child poverty taskforce reports back later this year." 2:37 At the end of May, the government delayed publishing its child poverty strategy until the autumn over Treasury concerns about the cost implications of ending the two-child limit on universal credit, which is expected to be part of the strategy. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch pushed Sir Keir Starmer on whether he will lift it at Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday after the PM last week said the government "will look at" scrapping it, in his strongest indication yet that he will. On the free school meals announcement, Sir Keir said: "Working parents across the country are working tirelessly to provide for their families but are being held back by cost-of-living pressures. "My government is taking action to ease those pressures. Feeding more children every day, for free, is one of the biggest interventions we can make to put more money in parents' pockets, tackle the stain of poverty, and set children up to learn. "This expansion is a truly historic moment for our country, helping families who need it most and delivering our Plan for Change to give every child, no matter their background, the same chance to succeed." Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson called it a "giant step" towards ending child poverty.


Daily Mail
20 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Lorraine Kelly insists she is 'not done yet' as she appears to hit back at rumours her show will cut for good after ITV's brutal daytime TV cutbacks
Lorraine Kelly has revealed her determination to keep her long-running show going in the wake of ITV's brutal cutbacks, as she pointedly declared, she was 'not done yet'. The TV veteran, 65, saw her show Lorraine face the brunt of the cuts, with the series to only air 30 weeks a year, and Good Morning Britain taking her 9-10am slot for the other 22. While the show's previous one hour runtime has also been slashed in half, now running for just 30 minutes from 9:30am to 10am. In her first interview since the news, Lorraine appeared to hit back at ITV, as she emphasised her four decade-long career. Speaking to Tom Kerridge on the Proper Tasty podcast, she also poured water on reports that her show could be cut for good, by stating she wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the Daily Mail's new Showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. Reflecting on how long she'd been on screens, Lorraine said: 'I've been doing telly for over 40 years. It's mad isn't it? It's absolutely crazy. I started in breakfast telly in 1984, and I'm still getting away with it. Extraordinarily.' Subtly alluding to her determination to keep her show going, she then added: '40 years in TV last year was incredible. I got a BAFTA. "Here's a BAFTA for being alive." I thought, "Hang on a minute, I'm not done yet".' While she also voiced her willingness to 'be unleashed' and hold less of herself back, saying: 'I think now I can be a lot cheekier. Because I've always been a bit naughty. 'Not so much in the morning, but if I do a wee show on Channel 4, or The Last Leg, or something like that. You can be unleashed. And I quite like that. 'You do have to have a self-edit button, and I'm finding mine is not operating as much as it should. 'So, when I'm sitting there and I look at something and I think, "Gosh, what an absolute k**b that person is," or how silly they are, I say it and I don't realise I've said it. So I have to watch.' But Lorraine admitted that even after all these years, she still feels some nerves when presenting her show, though not as bad as when she first started. She recalled: 'I remember being so scared about doing a piece to camera and just being unbelievably nervous. Speaking to Tom Kerridge on the Proper Tasty podcast, she also poured water on reports that her show could be cut for good, by stating she wasn't going anywhere anytime soon 'And that doesn't go away for a long time. It doesn't ever completely go away I don't think. I don't think it should.' It comes after MailOnline revealed Lorraine was given the chance by ITV bosses to merge her daytime show with GMB to present the last 30 minutes of their broadcast, but she declined. Last month, she was pulled into a meeting prior to the channel's budget cuts announcement where she was offered the new proposal, which was considered an 'easy fix' after the same format was adopted during the pandemic. Sources have revealed that Lorraine was 'insulted' by the suggestion and told bigwigs it wasn't a possibility, resulting in the reduced runtime of her show from an hour to 30 minutes. MailOnline understands that Lorraine, who has presented her show for the past 14 years, was prepared to 'walk away' but agreed to continue hosting the series until the end of 2026. The star is predicted to quit for good next year after a new role titled 'Head of Lorraine' was created to oversee the changes, but the contract is only for a 12-month period. Last month, ITV confirmed that ITN is taking over the output of Good Morning Britain while Lorraine and Loose Women will only air 30 weeks per year and are moving from Television Centre to a central London studio. A show insider revealed: 'Lorraine was pulled into a meeting with bosses where she was told about Good Morning Britain being taken over by ITN ahead of the public announcement. 'It was proposed that her show would merge with GMB so that she presented the last 30 minutes of the broadcast, which is what happened when a reduced team were working during lockdown. 'But she told them no and said it wasn't even a possibility... fast-forwarded two weeks and the channel announced her show would be cut from an hour to 30 minutes... 'The entire thing has been an insult and she's certain to leave when the year-long contract ends.' Staff now fear the presenter may decide to throw in the towel with a source telling The Mirror: 'There are genuine fears among staff that Lorraine may decide to walk if the quality of the show they are putting out declines. 'It's hard to see how standards won't fall….and there are questions over whether Lorraine will want to be associated with that. Lorraine and her team are perfectionists - it's why the show is loved by so many.' A second source said morale is now low among employees, adding: 'Staff are beside themselves, and have been in tears constantly. It doesn't make any sense given the trajectory the show is on.' MailOnline has contacted representatives for ITV and Lorraine Kelly for comment. Lorraine presented fewer than 60 per cent of the editions of her show broadcast in 2024, with Ranvir Singh and Christine Lampard often filling in for her. The presenter said her absences were initially due to caring for her sick mother but then also became about her desire to do other things. She told The Guardian: 'It's really hurtful actually. It really is. I've not spoken about it before. I'm a grafter and I work really hard and I've had to take Fridays off for the past year. I just thought it was weird to care so much. 'Initially, it was for my mum who has been ill. And it sort of brings you into line with everyone else because if you look at This Morning, everybody else does four days. 'And as I'm getting older, I want to do other things, more writing, all of that. Mate, I've been doing this for 40 years, working my a**e off.' ITV sources told MailOnline that they have decided to cut resources on their daytime schedule so that the network can invest in more drama programmes. One said: 'There is a need to cost save but also so that the right money can go to the right shows and with everything getting more expensive these things have to be looked at.' The source added: 'Christine and Ranvir remain part of the ITV daytime family.'


Daily Mail
20 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Leah Remini addresses 'rift' with Jennifer Lopez and reveals where their friendship stands today
Leah Remini denied there was ever a 'rift' with her former BFF Jennifer Lopez, which was rumored to have stemmed from her skipping her 2022 Georgia nuptials to now fourth ex-husband Ben Affleck. 'Sometimes you don't talk to people every day like you used to, but that doesn't mean the love is lost,' the 54-year-old King of Queens alum clarified to Us Weekly on Wednesday. 'Friendships ebb and flow. That doesn't mean we're at odds.' Last September, Leah and the 55-year-old pop diva got back in touch with each other following the legal separations from their respective spouses. 'We'd text each other loving messages of support,' Remini revealed. Jennifer and the 52-year-old Oscar winner's divorce was finalized on February 20 after two years of marriage. And the two-time Emmy winner finalized her divorce from husband Angelo Pagán on October 11 after 28 years together and 21 years of marriage. 'I cherish my friendships and not everybody is meant to be in your life in the way that they were,' Leah explained. 'When you grow out of that person that you were, that doesn't mean that you are at odds with them. I have many friends that I don't talk to every day. That doesn't mean we're at odds — it's just that I'm at a different place and so are they.' Remini and Lopez haven't been pictured together since June 2021, but their friendship dates as far back as 2004. The Flight Risk actress frequently credited her A-list alliance with the American Music Awards host for giving her the strength to leave the 'abusive' Church of Scientology in 2013 after 34 years. Leah and Jennifer portrayed 'Value Shop' supermarket co-workers Joan and Maya in Peter Segal's dismally-reviewed 2017 rom-com Second Act, which earned $72.3M at the box office. And in 2018, Remini let fans in on the surprising dynamic of their bond when she crashed Lopez's Access Hollywood interview to bust her balls about how and when she picks up the check. 'In a group, when it's like 100 people you do [pay],' the Brooklyn-born, LA-raised funnywoman accused. 'But when it's me and you? Bulls***, Jennifer! She never has her credit card on her, conveniently.' Annoyed, the two-time Grammy nominee replied: 'So she picks up the cheap checks and I pick up the expensive checks. Who picks up the tab then?! This is my interview!' Last September, Leah and the 55-year-old pop diva got back in touch with each other following the legal separations from their respective spouses: 'We'd text each other loving messages of support' (pictured in 2019) Remini frequently credited her A-list alliance with the American Music Awards host for giving her the strength to leave the 'abusive' Church of Scientology in 2013 after 34 years (pictured in 2018) The native New Yorkers portrayed 'Value Shop' supermarket co-workers Joan and Maya in Peter Segal's dismally-reviewed 2017 rom-com Second Act, which earned $72.3M at the box office And in 2018, Leah let fans in on the surprising dynamic of their bond when she crashed Lopez's Access Hollywood interview to bust her balls about how and when she picks up the check (pictured in 2021 with Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas) In 2022, Leah shared a snap of herself happily hanging out with Jennifer's third ex-husband Marc Anthony and his much younger fourth wife Nadia Ferreira Muñiz. Remini talks to her current BFF Michelle Visage 'on FaceTime for an hour every morning' and she's on a funny 'text chain' with Holly Robinson and Tisha Campbell. The current NYU student also gushed over how her comedian gal pal Chelsea Handler 'will go out of her way to visit' her daughter Sofia Bella Pagán in New York after knowing her since she 'was in diapers.' On June 16, Leah and her 57-year-old estranged husband will celebrate the 21st birthday of Sofia.