Alan Carr has been keeping us entertained with Alan Carr's Epic Gameshow, but how much do you know about the funny man behind the scenes? The star is married to Paul Drayton, and the pair celebrated their one-year wedding anniversary back in January. The couple tied the knot in January 2018 in a truly spectacular affair – who else can say they were married by Adele? And that the Rolling in the Deep singer performed their first dance? Here's everything you need to know about Alan and Paul…
Who is Paul Drayton?
The Alan Carr: Chatty Man presenter often keeps tight-lipped about his private life, but he has revealed some titbits about Paul in the past. In his book Alantomy: The Inside Story, the comedian wrote: "I want to be there for him because he's the best thing that's happened to me." Alan, 42, has helped his party planner husband through spells of alcoholism and rehab. He gave up alcohol to support Paul, joking at a gig in London in November 2018: "He's been sober for 161 days. I haven't had a drink during this time either… or a smile."
The couple were together for 10 years before tying the knot
Back in 2016, he also said: "To be honest, it was a tough year for my Paul last year. He had a few issues with alcohol, and a lot of the time that was because I was away so much. I was out there, working hard, earning the money, and I neglected my personal life, really, so I feel a little bit to blame for that." Speaking about writing Paul into his shows, Alan has also said on The One Show: "My Paul shows up in some of the jokes in this new show, actually, which he's not too chuffed about, but my job is what allows him to be a kept man, so he has to learn to deal with the exposure... Actually, no. That's not fair."
"I want to be there for him because he's the best thing that's happened to me," said Alan
When did Alan Carr and Paul Drayton get engaged?
The couple dated for ten years before Paul proposed in the summer of 2016. He surprised Alan during a romantic holiday to Indonesia, by hiding the ring in Alan's dessert. "He asked me to marry him in Lombok… I went to the toilet and came out to eat dessert," Alan told The Sun, adding that he mistook the ring for a filling when he bit into it. "I was like, 'Oh my God, a filling's come out, just my luck on holiday.' I pull it out and it's this ring, and then the man on the organ starts singing Can You Feel The Love Tonight? Then the chef, all the staff came out, and the manager, and sang Can You Feel the Love Tonight?, but they didn't know the next lyric, so they just sang, 'Can you feel the love tonight? Can you feel the love tonight?' So it was my idea of hell! But of course I said yes."
Alan and Paul on honeymoon in Mexico in January 2018
When did Alan Carr and Paul Drayton marry?
Alan and Paul went on to marry in January 2018. The TV star had made no secret of his wish to have Adele sing at his wedding, but the couple surprised fans even more when Adele actually officiated their big day. During an appearance on This Morning, Alan said: "She said I want to do your special day, let me do everything. So, she got ordained and she married us." Becoming emotional, Alan continued: "She is the kindest, most sweetest, loveliest person ever. She flew us to Vegas to see Celine Dion sing. She sang my first dance. It was the best day of my life."
The star has been friends with Adele since 2008 after meeting at the BRIT Awards. "I didn't win a competition, she is a friend!" he said on The One Show. "We've known her for ages, and when we told her we were getting married she said, 'Can I please plan the whole day for you?' She did it all at her house. So, we got in there, and there is a grand piano with a man playing Ordinary People. Then she sang with our first dance, it was absolutely amazing. I can never repay her, she's a one-off as we all know."
Adele officiated at her friends' wedding
Adele confirmed the news a couple of months after the top-secret wedding, sharing a photo of herself dressed in cream robes and posing in front of a flower wall. "Seeing as the cat's out the bag. I married two of my best friends in January. You know me any excuse to dress up," she wrote.
In January 2018, Alan's spokesperson said: "Alan Carr married his long-term partner Paul Drayton at a small private ceremony in LA last week. The couple are currently on honeymoon in Mexico and are planning a big celebration with all their family and friends back in the UK later this summer. They are both extremely happy."
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