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9-8-2001 Daily Record GAIL'S WEDDING SNUB Her cousin Steven is left out after he invited the star to his big day GETHIN CHAMBERLAIN EXCLUSIVE SCOTS TV star Gail Porter has refused to invite her relatives to her celebrity wedding tomorrow to Toploader guitarist Dan Hipgrave. Family members are furious they have been snubbed by the blonde Top Of The Pops presenter. Even her father, Craig, has been relegated from the ceremony at an Edinburgh Registry Office. Gail has invited her dad, who is separated from her mum, Sandra, but she has demanded that her brother, Keith, gives her away. Now one of her cousins, Steven Porter, believes her fame has gone to her head. Children's TV host Gail, 30, became a household name when her naked pose for a lads' magazine was projected onto the Houses of Parliament. But years beforehand she and Steven, also 30, were great pals and would play together during family holidays at their grandmother's home. They kept in touch and Gail was even invited to his wedding in 1994. But the kindness has not been returned and the girl who was happy to build sandcastles with him on Portobello beach has cut him out of her big day. Last night Steven hit out: "She was at my wedding and danced around like a plonker but I'm not even going to get a bit of fairy cake from hers. "I thought at least we would be at the reception but she's obviously lost in herself and not wanting anything to do with her family." Steven, who runs his own conservatory business in Hawick, said his side of the family were hurt to be left out of the celebrations. He said: "I'm a bit embarrassed because all my mates have been saying, 'Are you going to Gail's wedding?' and I imagined I would be. "Apparently Keith has said we should have contacted them but I haven't as I'm embarrassed - you don't really ask to go to a wedding, do you? "My dad was all up for it and he thought we would all be going. "But I phoned my brother and none of us have had an invite." However, he suspects there may be another reason for the snub. He believes Gail may have taken against his side of the family after her own father - Steven's uncle - split from her mother. Steven said: "With her brother giving her away it is like she has snubbed the whole father's side of the family. "As far as I'm aware Sandra's side are all invited. It is just the Porter side that has not been invited, my mother Jean, my sister Olive, my twin brother Douglas and myself." He admits the last time he talked to Gail was at his own wedding in Hawick. Steven, who was divorced from wife Marie in 1997, said he had made attempts to get in touch. He said: "I've followed her career and every time I see something in the paper about her I read it. "She was on Radio 1 once and I phoned in to say hi and that I was proud of her but I didn't get through." Steven believes his family's bad luck on the marriage front may also have put Gail off from inviting them He said: "My mum and dad, Jean and Geoffrey, married in 1966 but were divorced 11 years later. Gail's mum and dad, Sandra and Craig, married in 1970 but are now apart. "Our Uncle Melvin is also divorced and I'm her cousin and my marriage only lasted three years." Only Steven's brother has had any luck - his 1999 marriage is still going strong. Steven admitted: "It's not the best omen. "But despite not being invited to her wedding I still wish Gail all the best and I hope she and Dan don't catch the Porter Curse. "I hope she manages to stay married and is not entering into it lightly. "It would just have been nice to get my face up there and wish her luck." Last night Gail refused to comment on why Steven's side of the family had not been invited along to her big day. When told that Steven was upset about the snub she would only say: "Really." She then added: "Could you actually not phone me?" Gail's mother Sandra had promised that the wedding would be a truely family affair. Last week she said: "We are going to have a local lunch and a family party afterwards, it is not going to be a showbiz thing." But it is not the first time Gail has landed herself in hot water over the wedding arrangements. She upset Dan's grand-father after sending out the wedding invites in the form of mobile phone text messages. He refused to attend unless he received a proper written invitation slip. Gail and Dan have also put back plans for a honeymoon because his band are due to play the V2001 festival in a week's time. The couple first met on Chris Evans' TFI Friday show last year. Romance finally blossomed when the pair got together after an awards ceremony in October. Then Dan, whose band had a hit with Dancing In The Moonlight, popped the question the night before music's Brit Awards in February. They had initially planned a romantic wedding on the Carribean island of St Lucia but that plan was scuppered when Dan's mother burst into tears at the thought of missing her son's big day. Gail has revealed she is planning to take Dan's surname, but she has revealed she wants to be known professionally by just her first name. Aside from her TV career Gail has made a name for herself by stripping off for a series of men's magazines, including GQ and FHM. She achieved notoriety when a picture of her naked body was beamed on to the Houses of Parliament.
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................................................................................................................. Copyright ©2004 Gethin Chamberlain. All rights reserved. |
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