ITV Goodnight Sweetheart stars were married in real life before surprise split
ITV Goodnight Sweetheart stars were married in real life before surprise split
Two of the Goodnight Sweetheart cast were married in real life as well as on the ITV comedy, which premiered in 1993 and is now available to stream
Liz Carling as Phoebe, Nicholas Lyndhurst as Gary Sparrow, and Emma Amos as Yvonne in Goodnight Sweetheart
(Image: BBC )
Two stars of the beloved ITV sitcom Goodnight Sweetheart found love not only on screen but in their personal lives as well.
In an episode titled How I Won the War, characters Gary and Phoebe become part of a wartime concert troupe, and viewers are introduced to Sid and Nancy Potter – a duo portrayed by real-life couple Bonnie Langford and Paul Grunert.
Bonnie, aged 60, took on the role of Nancy while her then-husband Paul, 68, played her TV spouse Sid. In real life, married in 1995, they welcomed their daughter Biana before separating in 2015 after two decades together.
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The pair met while performing in a stage musical back in 1987. A dissolution of their marriage followed, with reports from The Sun stating that Bonnie obtained a swift divorce due to "unreasonable behaviour", the proceedings taking under a minute and a half.
Goodnight Sweetheart ran for six series after premiering in 1993
(Image: (Image: ITV) )
A source divulged to the newspaper: "Bonnie split from her husband quite some time ago and it is very amicable and they remain good friends," reports the Express.
"Bonnie has not discussed the split publicly as she is an extremely private person who rarely talks about her personal life and she wants it to remain that way for the sake of their daughter."
Bonnie has typically maintained a discreet stance on her personal affairs, but over time she divulged snippets about her marriage. Reflecting on her relationship before their separation, she shared: "I'd known Paul since 1987, when we'd done a show together. But I just hadn't thought of him in that way. Then a friend suggested we all get together."
Bonnie Langford was married to her co-star
(Image: (Image: Getty) )
She further recounted the chance encounter that led to love: "In the end, she couldn't make it, so it was just Paul and me. And that was that. It's always the times in your life when you're not looking that you find what you need."
Goodnight Sweetheart was also notable for featuring real-life relationships among its cast. Christopher Ettridge, who took on the role of Reg, acted alongside his actual son Alfie Ettridge Rogers portraying Reg's son Frank in the episode 'One O'Clock Jump'.
Moreover, Gary and Yvonne's daughter Ellie Sparrow was brought to life by Esme Coy, the real-life daughter of Emma Amos, who starred as Yvonne in the series.
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Goodnight Sweetheart is available to watch on ITVX
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