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Jilted bride to marry regional journalist who broke her story

A would-be bride who became a real-life Bridget Jones after being jilted at the altar is set to marry the regional journalist who covered her story.

John Siddle, head of audience at the Coventry Telegraph, will wed Katy Gough next weekend following a romance which blossomed after he covered her sad tale last year.

Katy, a former PR for Manchester Airport, quit her job, sold her house and her car and booked a one-way ticket to South-East Asia after her wedding was cancelled at short notice in 2012.

Her experiences overseas inspired her to pen a series of novels called The Lonely Hearts Travel Club under the pen name Katy Colins, earning her a three-year book deal with Harper Collins.

John, who was working for the Liverpool Echo at the time, and Katy had previously studied on the same English language and journalism course together at the University of Salford. However, the pair hadn’t spoken in 10 years before John published her story.

The couple are now due to marry in Kenilworth, Warwickshire, next weekend and Katy has also revealed she is expecting their first child in late spring.

Katy and John will marry next weekend

Katy and John will marry next weekend

On her personal ‘Not Wed or Dead’ blog, Katy wrote: “Twelve months ago I was the jilted bride-turned-back-packing Bridget Jones. Next weekend I’m getting married.

“And, in a plot twist that could have come from one of my novels, the man I’m marrying is the journalist who broke my story with the world. I feel like I’m living in a real-life romcom.”

She added: “(John and I) studied on the same journalism course at university but hadn’t spoken for 10 years until he wrote this story that was the start of the media madness.

“As the year whirled on I fell hard and fast in love with him, we moved in together then he asked me a question and I said yes.

“I wasn’t afraid that it was going to end up like last time. I was stronger. I was more confident and I knew that if I ever needed to I could pick myself back up.

“Then came the pregnancy test with its positive lines and the grainy ultrasound scans. A whole new life blossoming out of what I’d once thought was the end of my life.”

12 comments

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  • January 13, 2017 at 9:50 am
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    This really does sound like something from a Hugh Grant film – another example of how life is truly stranger than fiction.

    Many congrats to Katy and John and all the very best for the future…

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  • January 13, 2017 at 11:57 am
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    nice to hear some good news. hope the romcom runs for many years.

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  • January 13, 2017 at 12:25 pm
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    I’ve never read Hello magazine but isn’t this the sort of Mills and Boon stuff they publish for big bucks?
    Katy sounds a celebrity in the making…

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  • January 13, 2017 at 12:44 pm
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    That’s really lovely to read. Congratulations, both.

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  • January 13, 2017 at 2:38 pm
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    Lovely news to read on a Friday afternoon. In an industry where good news is increasingly rare, this was a nice change. Congratulations to them both.

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  • January 13, 2017 at 3:24 pm
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    Good story, but – and perhaps this shows I have been away from the newspaper business too long – what on earth is a head of audience?

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  • January 13, 2017 at 3:45 pm
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    Some of my favourite films have been set around newspapers: ‘His Girl Friday’ with Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell, or ‘Roman Holiday’, with Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn. Then there’s ‘All the President’s Men’ and last year’s brilliant ‘Spotlight’. This would make a great rom-com and Katy could write the script!

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  • January 13, 2017 at 9:00 pm
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    Nice story!

    (Charles: I think we used to call them news editors)

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  • January 14, 2017 at 2:51 am
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    Shhit like you & life is what you see even if you can’t see clearly

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  • January 17, 2017 at 11:39 am
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    Love this story!
    Congratulations John (who I know) and Katy (who I don’t but comes across in the piece as lovely).
    Wishing you both a fantastically happy life together.

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