Hollyoaks star marries in lavish ceremony three years after cancer battle
Hollyoaks star Abi Phillips has tied the knot in a lavish ceremony in Italy more than three years after her cancer battle.
The actress, who played Liberty Savage on the Channel 4 soap, married her long-term fiancé, Gav, in front of her closest family and friends at Lake Garda - the same location where the couple got engaged in 2023. Abi, who joined Hollyoaks in 2010 and departed the show three years later, took to Instagram to share snaps and videos of her happy day.
Her posts included clips of her getting her wedding hair done, as well as details of their reception being prepared. Abi also shared clips of her and Gav dancing in casual clothes before changing to their elegant wedding looks.
Alongside a carousel of photos of her and her now husband, Abi wrote: "Literally having to pinch myself these last couple of days because I can't quite believe that I was lucky enough to marry the love of my life surrounded by all of the most important people in our lives in our dream venues… @gavgilly we bloody it!!!
"Our wedding day was the best type of rollercoaster and we wouldn't have it any other way. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts to everyone who made the effort to come all the way to Italy to celebrate with us. We love you all so much."
She added: "Also another HUGE thank you to all of our incredible suppliers who honestly now feel like family to us who made our day truly unforgettable." Many fans took to the comment section to congratulate the newlyweds, with one saying: "Sensational!! So happy for the two of you."
Another wrote: "Congratulations to you both!! You looked stunning adore your dress and the wedding looked perfect." One more said: "Wowwe! So incredibly beautiful! The biggest congratulations, so much love and happiness for you both."
"The most beautiful bride and groom!!!" a fan said, while the wedding planner commented: "I loved EVERY minute of planning your wedding with you." Abi and Gav got engaged at Lake Garda in 2023 and she announced the happy news on social media, by sharing a selfie showing off her huge engagement ring.
Captioning her upload, she penned: "So this happened last night! The most magical week in Lake Garda, with my favourite person in the world @gavgilly ended with us getting engaged. The most perfect proposal at sunset at the edge of the lake."
She went on to add: "The last 11 years together have been the best of my life and I'm so looking forward to forever together. Thank you for making this trip the most incredible week, it will forever hold a place in my heart. I love you so much!"
The couple's engagement came just under a year after Abi revealed she had been diagnosed with thyroid cancer. The actress, who auditioned for The Voice in 2017, explained that she had been diagnosed with the disease, telling fans: "I'd previously been sent away from the doctors after having found two lumps in my neck, they'd passed it off and said I was 'young' and it wouldn't be anything and I was 'probably getting over a cold' or my body was 'fighting something off'.
"As much as that's what I wanted to hear I wanted to get everything checked for my own peace of mind. Fast forward two weeks and just before Easter weekend I had an appointment to see a consultant at the QE hospital who sat me down and told me that I had been diagnosed with thyroid cancer and that I would need surgery and radiotherapy treatment.
"I never thought I would be told that I have cancer at the age of 28, you never think it's going to happen to you. I wouldn't have taken things further with seeing a specialist if I hadn't seen @demijones1 post as her lumps were in the exact same place as mine."
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