Cilla Black: First Blind Date couple to get married say 'She played a big part in our lives from the start'

The Liverpudlian singer and presenter went to three Blind Date weddings overall

(Gareth Cattermole | Getty Images)

The first couple to get married after meeting on the programme Blind Date have mourned the loss of host Cilla Black, who died at the age of 72.

Alex and Sue Tatham first met on the show in 1988 when Alex picked Sue, number two, after impressing him with her answers to his three prepared questions.

Alex asked that – because he was an evening Tarzanagram – how would his night-time hobby affect their possible relationship.

Sue replied, “Well that would suit me fine actually because I work several nights a week as a kissogram, we might even go into business together. Anyway you’d soon get fed up, because once you got to know me, you’d want to spend every evening in with me.”

Three years after they first met on the show the couple married, with Cilla Black and her husband attending the ceremony and reception, which were filmed for the show.

Talking to Good Morning Britain, the couple (still married) said, "She played a big part in our lives from the start."

Ms Tatham said that she could not believe Black was gone. "You didn’t expect her to ever go, she would be there for ever, she’s such a national treasure," she said.

They said it was very special to have Black at their wedding and that what was extraordinary about her attendance was that she kept in the background and made sure it was their day.

Mr Tatham said Black was their "fairy godmother."

Cilla Black also went to two other Blind Date weddings, keeping her promise that she would go to the wedding of any couple that married after meeting on the programme.

She went to the wedding of Lillian and David Fenson in 1994 as well as the ceremony of Anna and Paul Pratt in 1998. Paul in fact proposed to Anna while in the audience of one of the shows.