Mel C marries gentle boyfriend in ‘understated’ Cumbria wedding

Spice Girls star Mel C married her long-time boyfriend, Chris Dingwall, on Saturday, with the pair walking down the aisle at The Country House in Cumbria.

Among the guests spotted arriving for Sporty Spice’s nuptials were her fellow Spice Girls co-star, Geri Halliwell-Horner. Ginger Spice was seen pulling up to the venue in a black car alongside her own husband, Christian Horner. Other guests were seen arriving in coaches and local taxis.

The venue itself is owned by Ben Forster, a close friend of the singer’s, with the pair first meeting back in 2013 when they co-starred in Jesus Christ Superstar. The gorgeous property dates back to the 19th century and is located in a secluded countryside area.

Although most of Mel’s Spice Girls co-stars are there for her big day, there was one key absence, with Victoria Beckham skipping the ceremony.

Posh Spice is currently in the United States with her family, and they have been watching England play live in many of their matches. Although the Three Lions were knocked out of the tournament by Argentina, they will be playing France on Saturday evening in Miami.

Mel C’s relationship with Chris

Mel is the last of the Spice Girls to marry, and when she first met Chris on celebrity dating app Raya, she wasn’t expecting to find love. After a previous bad break-up, Mel had no intention of finding anyone else, revealing she only downloaded the celebrity dating app as a joke.

“We’d go through [Raya] to see if there were any hotties on there — see what celebrities we could spot, which is always fun,” she joked on the Life Uncut podcast. She matched with Chris, who was living in Australia, and when Mel travelled there for a DJ gig, she agreed to a dinner date.

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“I didn’t want to let the dude down,” she confessed. “And we’ve been together ever since.”

The singer has previously referred to her partner as a “real gentle soul”, saying: “He’s one of those people that just doesn’t get all up in your business, you know? He’s quietly on the sidelines being uber supportive, and he’s wonderful.”

Back in January, Mel confessed that Chris was her first partner that she’d ever thought about marrying. She told the Sunday Times: “You know what? It’s something I didn’t think would be part of my story, but I’m so happy with Chris.

“Maybe it is something that will be in my life. I just think, just do all the things. Do you know what I mean? Have all the experiences.”