The couple spoke to the ECHO in an exclusive interview about their decision to tie the knot in the Palm House in Sefton Park
Sarah and Aston Merrygold spoke to the ECHO in an exclusive interview(Image: Getty Images for BAFTA)
JLS star Aston Merrygold has opened up on the decision to get married in Liverpool. The 38-year-old tied the knot with Sarah Merrygold in 2022.
The couple’s romance blossomed on the road as Sarah was one of the dancers on tour with JLS. They have since forged a happy life together and are the proud parents of three children. Although both hail from the south of the country, Liverpool is a city that will always have a special place in their heart after they married at the Palm House in Sefton Park.
The two were in attendance at the BAFTA TV Awards last weekend (May 10) and spoke to the ECHO on the red carpet at Royal Festival Hall in Southbank. When asked about the decision to hold such an important day in their lives in Liverpool, Aston said people often jump to conclusions that Sarah is originally from Liverpool.
He said: “Everyone always thinks, ‘what’s the tie?’ Half the time they ask me is your wife from Liverpool.” But Aston revealed him and Sarah were just always drawn to the city and its people.
He said: “We’ve always had good fun in Liverpool over the years touring. Especially when Sarah used to tour with me as well.
“There was only a handful of places in the UK that we thought, we’d love to get married there. We were searching for just venues and then the Palm House came up and it was like, this is beautiful.
“We saw it was in Liverpool and we were like winner. One of our favourite hotels in the whole country is in Liverpool. So we thought, right, let’s just make it work. And we did.”
The couple more than made it work as Sarah said it was one of the best days of her life. She said: “I don’t think we’ll ever have a day like it. It was magic, just having all your friends and family under one roof. But also they were just there for us. The love in one room was just everything.”
On what she loves about Liverpool, Sarah added: “I love Liverpool and I’m not just saying that because I’m talking to someone from Liverpool. They are the nicest people.”
Aston has been regularly touring around the globe since he shot to stardom with JLS in 2008. But he said that there is something special about a Scouse audience as he will be forever bonded to Liverpool.
On Liverpool crowds, he added: “They’re not shy. Before, during or after the show, they’re not shy. Up for a good time. I think twice I’ve done tour dates in Liverpool on my birthday.”
The ECHO was in attendance at the BAFTAs on a proud night for Liverpool heritage. In the Best Lead Actor Category alone, four of the six nominees all boasted Merseyside heritage. James Nelson-Joyce, Stephen Graham and Ellis Howard all grew up in the city, while Taron Egerton was born in Birkenhead before he moved to North Wales at a young age.
And it wasn’t just this category where our incredible pool of talent was recognised. Christine Tremarco received the Best Supporting Actress prize for her heartbreaking performance as Manda Miller. In addition to this, shows with a Liverpool heartbeat such as This City Is Ours, Adolescence, A Thousand Blows and What It Feels Like For A Girl were all regularly mentioned throughout the evening.
The This City Is Ours star James Nelson-Joyce spoke to the ECHO on the red carpet about what has inspired this boom in Scouse talent. The 37-year-old said: “You can’t ignore our city [Liverpool], we are from the greatest city in the world. They will try and hold us back and block us, but we always find a way through.”
He added: “We have a mentality in Liverpool of ‘if you lock the door we will come through your window’ and then there’s Stephen Graham. Stephen Graham has opened the door for me and many other actors.
“He has held the door open on his way up to the very top. He has not forgotten about giving back and helping people. He gives advice on auditions and agents, I realise how lucky I was to be one of those people he looked out for.”