When Ben Ofoedu split from his fiancee Vanessa Feltz after 16 years together, he believed he’d never get the chance to walk down the aisle.
But on Wednesday, the musician’s dream of becoming a husband finally came true – and, in a curious twist, he married another Vanessa. Not a television presenter or reality star like Feltz, but an aesthetics expert, Vanessa Brown, who is 23 years his junior.
Ofoedu, 52, affectionately calls her ‘Vanessa 2.0’ and their love has already inspired him to write ten unreleased love songs. The pair tied the knot in a lavish £100,000 ceremony at the breathtaking medieval Rose Castle in Cumbria, near Carlisle, where Brown grew up.
She dazzled in a Berta Privee strapless lace gown, while the former band member for Phats & Small and Intenso Project opted for a cream suit and black shirt. The day began in a tiny church, where they received a blessing from a priest, before moving on to the castle lawn for the main celebration.
Among the 72 guests were famous faces including Boyzone’s Shane Lynch, who acted as best man, as well as his former bandmate Keith Duffy, S Club 7’s Bradley McIntosh and pop group 911’s Lee Brennan. Guests toasted the newlyweds with filled-to-the-brim flutes of £33-a-bottle Jean-Noel Heritage Champagne.
After a romantic first dance to Boyzone’s Every Day I Love You – a nod to Ofoedu’s long-standing music industry friendships – the crowd was treated to a £7,500 drone show that told the couple’s love story, which began in April last year after a chance meeting backstage at a gala dinner celebrating business men and women in Carlisle, at which Ofeodu was performing.
Their chance meeting was described extensively in their order of service: ‘We met on the 19th April 2024 at the Elite Awards in Carlisle –a night we will never forget.
‘It just so happened that Ben was performing [at the event] with Boyz on Block as a last-minute edition after Boyzlife [comprising Boyzone’s Duffy and Westlife’s Brian McFadden] had to cancel. If Brian and Keith had not stepped back, Ben wouldn’t have been on that stage and we might never have met.
Ben Ofoedu affectionately calls his wife ‘Vanessa 2.0’ – after his former fiancee Vanessa Feltz
Ofoedu, 52, met aesthetics expert Vanessa Brown last year and knew she was The One
‘After the show we ended up chatting – nothing planned or forced. That conversation sparked something real and everything changed from there.
‘Since that night, we’ve packed a life time into a year. Then in February 2025, during the most unforgettable trip to New York, Ben proposed.
‘Now standing here on our wedding day with all of you, it’s surreal and beautiful to think how it all began.’
Dinner tables were named after songs written by the couple’s musical friends and guests tucked into an indulgent meal of lobster ravioli, roast chicken, salmon, and cheese soufflé. It was especially enjoyed by the groom, who has spent the last six months in the gym preparing for what he called ‘the happiest day of my life’.
And in his first exclusive interview with the Mail as a married man, Ofoedu spoke of his joy at finally becoming a husband.
He said: ‘I have been waiting for this feeling, I have always wanted to be married since I was seven years old. I always wanted to be with someone who would take my surname.
‘I almost gave up on marriage, thinking there wasn’t a lady that would walk down the aisle for me.
‘I can’t believe the day has come, it is a dream come true. It feels like I’ve been waiting for this moment all my life. This is the finale of the chapter that was 17 years of my life.’
The wedding took place at the breathtaking medieval Rose Castle in Cumbria, near Carlisle
Guests included several big names including Boyzone’s Shane Lynch, who acted as best man
He was, of course, referring to his previous long-term engagement to Ms Feltz.
The pair met in 2005, when the TV presenter was at the height of her broadcasting fame and he was a little-known pop singer – best remembered for his stint in Phats & Small. The couple quickly became a fixture on the celebrity circuit and within months were engaged, with Feltz proudly introducing Ofoedu to the public as her fiancé. She frequently featured him in her media appearances, from red-carpet events to reality-TV shows, reviving his public profile and transforming him into a household name.
But behind the scenes, cracks were beginning to show. Their relationship came to a dramatic end in 2023 after Ofoedu admitted to cheating — a betrayal that left Feltz heartbroken and publicly humiliated.
Reflecting on his relationship with the former This Morning agony aunt, he said: ‘Never again will I do that. I wasted 17 years of my life.
‘I don’t believe in long engagements any more. You don’t want to get married if there’s a question mark over your engagement.
‘If you don’t want to commit to someone, that’s fine. But don’t pretend you do and hold on to someone for a long period of time. Let them free, let them fly.’
After undergoing therapy in the wake of their split, the DJ – who refuses to mention Feltz by name ‘ever again’ – said the torrid experience gave him clarity.
‘I knew what I was getting into going out with someone that talks about their sex life on TV. What did I expect? It was great media attention for her. I went into it with my eyes wide open thinking it wouldn’t affect me, but it did.’
As he surveyed the crowd of loved ones, Ofoedu reflected that the most valuable outcome of his break-up with Feltz was ‘finding out who my real friends are’.
He said: ‘I thought I was friends with everyone but people acted differently towards me [after the break up]. At the time it hurt me but it turned out to be great because it showed me who actually had my back – every member of Boyzone and a couple of boys from Blu who couldn’t be here.
‘But I know she [Vanessa Feltz] will look at these pictures today and see that everyone here knows the truth about our relationship and the narrative she spun.
‘This love with Vanessa [Brown] has made me realise that the other one didn’t love me as much as she made out, we had two different definitions of love.’
Insisting he didn’t want to make his special day about the ‘past’, Ofoedu added: ‘All of that was worth it and everything happens for a reason because I’ve found my perfect person.
‘The main thing now [is] it’s ended happily ever after for me – getting married in a beautiful castle in Carlisle and I’m happy.
‘Vanessa is the woman of my dreams, our connection was instant and when I found out she was dreaming of a beautiful white wedding fit for a princess, I thought, “Ben, it’s time to get your Prince Charming boots on and be the fairytale prince she’s always dreamed of”.
‘As I look back at our beautiful romance it has confirmed my belief that true love is waiting around the corner – you just have to keep the faith.’
Bride Vanessa echoed the sentiment, beaming as she recalled how their connection had been ‘instant’, adding: ‘It was like everything suddenly made sense. When you know, you know.’
She revealed the couple hope to start a family within the next year and are planning a business venture together.
After trying on six gowns, she chose an off-the-shoulder lace number and said: ‘Our wedding felt like a fairytale – a white dress, white doves and all our favourite people there to see us start our for ever.
‘I couldn’t imagine spending my life with anyone else.’
Though she didn’t shy away from referencing her husband’s former relationship, she dismissed the negativity surrounding it.
She said: ‘When it comes to his last relationship, a lot of it is spiteful and untrue.
‘I’m the right person for him. Their relationship ended for reasons the public weren’t aware of. Everyone always says they have never seen Ben as happy as he is now.
‘That’s a testament to where he is in his life. He’s completely fulfilled when previously he wasn’t.
‘To be honest I don’t care whatsoever, I couldn’t care less about her. She is his ex – I have exes – and they’re in the past.
‘Why would you care?’ Brown adds, talking about Feltz. ‘Enjoy your retirement, your family and just chill. Stop talking about it, it’s so tragic!
‘Part of me feels sorry for her but it’s my life and I don’t care.’
Her mother, 59-year-old Lana Brown, who helped plan the wedding, agreed.
She told the Mail: ‘I think it’s strange [he’s married] another Vanessa but I said to Ben, maybe you were just waiting for the right Vanessa.
‘There’s no doubt in the past 16 years he was not a happy person, he was hurt a lot, but that’s in the past.
‘It’s great to see him so happy. From now on it’s a different chapter in his life, I hope this change will inspire him to start up making music again.
‘Creativity will begin again, he has taken the chains off his feet and he’s healed.
‘It will be a love story for the ages, a Romeo and Juliet.’
The evening continued with speeches from Ofoedu’s former bandmate Rodney Williams, and Vanessa’s father Stewart, 63.
At 7.30pm, the party kicked off in earnest, with a VIP sing-along featuring members of Boyzone.
As the festivities continued into the early hours, guests were invited to stay the night in the 43-bedroom castle – secured, as the Brown family say, on ‘mates’ rates’ through a close friendship with the owners.
Best man Lynch, 49, told the Mail: ‘Ben and I go back 30 years. He took me under his wing and Irish man into the UK. To see his love for Vanessa, it’s beautiful and a blessed day. I am so happy to see Ben so happy. He deserves nothing more than this perfect day. Vanessa has given him the most outstanding gift and brings out the best in him – comfort, joy, commitment and trust. All that a marriage should have.
‘He’s found someone later on in life who’s his person.’
