Two Strangers and a Wedding
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Two Strangers and a Wedding is a controversial radio competition created and first hosted in Australia.
In order to win the competition, two contestants who have not met or made contact with each other must be chosen by the station's listeners. They then have to ger married legitimately to win prizes.
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[edit] Australian Competitions
The first competitions were held in Sydney, Australia on 2DAY Fm and then on several other Australian and New Zealand radio stations.[citation needed]
[edit] UK Competitions
Birmingham radio station BRMB has married two sets of couples, and both of these contests have sparked a national interest. In 1999, the first couple were matched by a panel of relationship counsellors and astrologers, including astrologer Russell Grant. The groom was 28 year-old Greg Cordell, a sales manager, and his chosen bride was Carla Germaine, a 23 year-old former model.
The couple married, on air nationally and online, however they soon split after the wedding. Once the divorce was complete, the bride married Jeremy Kyle,[1] who at the time was one of the radio station's DJs. They now have their own family together.
Later on in 2006, another couple were married. Again, the station received national interest. Becky, 28, and Craig, 30, were chosen for the stunt.[2] Despite protests against the wedding, the two were married. The couple flew to Bermuda the day after the wedding for their honeymoon.
Four months later on May 7, 2006, the News of the World reported the couple had split, but not divorced. These reports were confirmed on the morning radio show, "the Big Brum Breakfast", when Becky (the bride) was interviewed.[citation needed]
[edit] New Zealand Competitions
New Zealand radio station The Edge ran a similar competition where they married Zane Nichol and Paula Stockwell in 1999. To this day the couple are still together and have two boys, one of which suffers from autism.[citation needed]
In 2003, The Edge also married Steve Veix and Kersha. Again, the two are also still together and have son, Mitchell.[citation needed] In early 2006, it was revealed that due to Steve's long days working on the couples farm, Kersha suffered post-natal depression which she has since beaten.[citation needed]
[edit] Other Competitions
95.5 WPLJ, a New York radio station, in 2006 married a couple. They were together for six months before divorcing.[3]
Similar contests have been run in Los Angeles, Budapest, Hungary and in Estonia. 95.5 KLOS in Los Angeles also ran a variant of the competition called "Three Strangers and a Wedding" in 2007 where the bride had to choose between two potential grooms at the altar.
[edit] Criticisms and Controvesy
- Birmingham's Churches Together accused BRMB of "reducing a sacred and momentous decision to a media event",[4] before the 1999 wedding of Greg and Carla.
- On February 7, 2006, the day of Becky and Craig's wedding, a vicar held a protest outside the Hotel du Vin, the location of the marriage.[citation needed]
- Many of these competitions are sponsored by a number of wedding-related services (e.g. florists, wedding planners), which can be led to people believing they are simply advertising gimmicks.[5]
[edit] References
- ^ http://www.BRMB.co.uk/Article.asp?id=160316 - BRMB Website - Where are they Now?
- ^ http://www.brmb.co.uk/Article.asp?id=171860 - BRMB Website - The Big Day
- ^ http://kipesquire.powerblogs.com/posts/1144327486.shtml - A Stitch in Haste - Two Strangers and a Divorce
- ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/262403.stm - BBC News Article - Church condemns 'blind wedding'
- ^ http://kipesquire.powerblogs.com/posts/1139423023.shtml - A Stitch in Haste - No Bigots and a Wedding
