Adam Henson “cried” marrying his long-term partner Charlie Gilbert after she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
Adam Henson married his long-term love Charlie Gilbert after she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer
The ‘Countryfile’ presenter finally said ‘I do’ with the location producer - who he first met at sixth form before getting together when they were in their 20s - after she was told she could die after struggling with stomach issues at Stroud Registry Office in Gloucestershire, the day before she underwent surgery for the life-threatening condition.
The 57-year-old TV star told the Daily Mirror newspaper: “We cried a lot. Those vows cemented my emotions and let me say from the heart how I feel about Charlie. The registrar wasn’t aware of our situation and said she’d never had such an emotional couple. For us, it was a way of saying goodbye to everyone.
He also said: “Charlie wore an ivory dress and looked stunning. We were dress and looked stunning. We were crying through the vows, and the next very emotional time for me was giving a speech at the reception.
“I talked about how strong we were together - we’d come out of the other side.”
Charlie admitted they have never gotten round to walking down the aisle because they had got “a bit complacent”.
She said: “After 28 years you do get a bit complacent, but getting married was suddenly really important. We didn’t know how long we had left. I wanted Adam to know I was committed to him.”
Charlie - who has two grown up kids Ella, 25, and Alfie, 21, with the presenter - also never found marriage “important”.
“Getting married had never been important to me. Having two children together was all the committment Adam and I needed.
“But now it was the most important thing in the world. I needed this public show of unity, and I needed to bring us together before I died.”
Charlie - who first experienced the typical digestive issues that indicate the disease amid the pandemic lockdown and then sought medical care - was sad to leave to go under the knife after her big day.
She said: “Saying goodbye was horrible. Cancer is lonely - you get all this love from everyone, but you’re still on your own. I’d written letters to Adam, the children and my sisters.
“All I could do was cling on to the fact I still had a chance, however tiny.”
Adam added: “The thought of life without Charlie was terrifying, but Fusai told me the operation had gone well.”