Straight actress sets a date after refusing to wed until same-sex marriage was legalised in Northern Ireland
Bronagh Waugh was waiting for marriage equality in Northern Ireland to legally get married. (David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images for Drugstore Culture )
Hollyoaks actress Bronagh Waugh has finally set a date to legally marry after vowing not to wed until same-sex marriage was legalised in Northern Ireland.
Although not a part of the LGBT+ community, she has tirelessly campaigned for marriage equality at home in Northern Ireland and decided to wait to have her own wedding in solidarity with the LGBT+ people.
She held a “love ceremony” with her partner Richard Peacock in Somerset in September but is yet to sign the legal paperwork.
WOW! WOW! WOW!!!!
That's it. It's done. WE DID IT!!!
🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉⚡🌈💞🙌
Bodily autonomy & reproductive rights for the women of N Ireland & same-sex marriage for our LGBTQI Family have passed!!! YESSS! pic.twitter.com/mKeyUxzMnm
— Bronagh Waugh (@bronaghwaugh) July 18, 2019
When same-sex marriage and abortion reform were passed in Northern Ireland in October the Hollyoaks actress was filming in Malta.
She told Belfast Telegraph: “It happened when I was in Malta, which was so weird. I was elated but I wish I could have been at home to celebrate properly.
“I was going, ‘Who do I hug?’ I spent most of the day crying. The cast knew how much of a big deal it is to me but it was such a shame Rich and I weren’t together on the day.”
Bronagh Waugh speaking at a rally for Love Equality Northern Ireland. (Love Equality NI)
Waugh added that Peacock has supported her through the online abuse she has received for supporting marriage equality.
She said: “He has stood by me through all of this campaigning and the horrendous trolling.
“The last two weeks of the campaign before it became legal was a whole brand new level of people sending me graphic pictures and really upsetting stuff. But he’s been so supportive of me.
“I am just so thankful for him standing by me and sticking up for me and coming on all the marches. It’s amazing for me to have someone like him.”
She said she would wear the same dress, but that they had already had the ceremony and just wanted to sign the paperwork and celebrate.
She continued: “Now I can finally get married properly. We are are going to do it. We will dust the dress off and do it properly back in Northern Ireland.
“I am going to have a big, big party and invite everybody from Love Equality and Amnesty and all my old friends from home and have a big party and celebration for equality.
“We’ve done the ‘wedding’ so we are just going to do the legal bit and get the piece of paper somewhere on the North coast and then I want to go to the Harbour Bar and celebrate.”
