Catherine Tyldesley is set to appear on Strictly Come Dancing tonight, as the first main show kicks off. The actress is known by many for her starring role as Eva Price in Coronation Street from 2011 to 2018. She has also taken part in shows including Holby City, Shameless and Lilies. Back in 2016, Catherine married her partner Tom Pitfield in a star studded ceremony at Colshaw Hall in Cheshire. They were joined by their family, friends, Catherine’s co-stars and their son Alfie – who was 14-months-old at the time.
This week, the couple spoke about their first dance, as Catherine counts down to her first routine on the BBC show.
Speaking in an interview with HELLO! magazine, Catherine gushed: “There were no nerves back then, it was nothing like I’m feeling now. We hadn’t choreographed anything and it was more Tom and I just shuffling along in a prolonged hug rather than a full-on dance routine.”
For the big day, Catherine wore not one, but two gorgeous dresses.
What were they like?
Catherine said “I Do” in a stunning bespoke gown by Liverpudlian designer Phillip Armstrong.
The gorgeous dress had lace detailing at the top, with an off-the-shoulder design.
It clung to her gorgeous curves, and went out at the bottom with the lace train flowing behind her.
For the day, Catherine wore her hair in a half up, half down style.
She let the elaborate dress do most of the talking, opting for minimal jewellery as she wore just a teeny pair of white pearl earrings.
Tom said he was overwhelmed with emotion when he first saw his wife in the gorgeous gown.
“She looked so beautiful,” he told HELLO! magazine at the time.
“This lady changed my life the moment she walked into it. She is the most caring and beautiful woman I’ve ever met.”
But Catherine didn’t just stop there, as she changed into her second look later on in the day at the reception.
The former Corrie actress revealed her second wedding dress, as she posted images to her social media.
Catherine wore a stunning ivory gown by another Liverpool-based designer Mark Melia.
The halter neck dress cinched in at Catherine’s waist and accentuated her figure.
Delicate embellishments could also be seen around the neckline of the dress, adding a certain wow factor to the sophisticated dress.
“B****y brilliant for dancing in babes! @markmeliadesigns loved it thankyou xx,” Catherine captioned the image on the day.
Within seconds, fans rushed to comment on the beautiful gown, as they congratulated Catherine on her big day.
“You look stunning as ever,” one wrote.
Clearly in love with Catherine’s first gown, one asked: “Beautiful, but why change the dress?”
Express.co.uk recently revealed how Catherine lost an incredible five stone.
As Catherine prepares for the intense training schedule of Strictly Come Dancing, she admitted her weight stopped her from dancing before.
Catherine has slimmed down in recent years by making sure to live a healthy lifestyle.
The soap star said: “I think it’s about creating a lifestyle. If you want to sustain a healthy weight and feel good about yourself then you need to fuel your body with the right food.”
STRICTLY COME DANCING WINNERS: A TIMELINE
2004 winner: Natasha Kaplinsky
Newsreader Natasha Kaplinsky was the first celebrity to win the BBC dancing series, which originally aired in July of 2004. She was partnered with Brendan Cole. They finished 39 points ahead of competitor Christopher Parker.
2004 winner: Jill Halfpenny
Jill Halfpenny was the second star to impress the judges with her dancing skills. Partnered with Darren Bennett, the pair beat off competition from Julian Clary and Denise Lewis in December of 2004.
2005 winner: Darren Gough
Cricketer Darren Gough won the third series of Strictly. He and partner Lilia Kopylova wowed audiences but never once finished at the top of the leaderboard.
2006 winner: Mark Ramprakash
Mark Ramprakash was the fourth star to lift the Glitterball Trophy. He was partnered with Karen Hardy and they were the first couple to restart a routine after their initial attempt saw Mark’s mic get caught in Karen’s dress.
2007 winner: Alesha Dixon
Before becoming a Strictly judge, Alesha Dixon won the nation’s hearts and the Glitterball Trophy during the fifth series. She was partnered with professional dancer Matthew Cutler.
2008 winner: Tom Chambers
Holby City star Tom Chambers was partnered with Camilla Dallerup when he won the sixth series. He performed the Foxtrot and Salsa in the final week.
2009 winner: Chris Hollins
BBC Breakfast presenter Chris Hollins and his professional partner Ola Jordan surprised viewers when they beat Ricky Whittle and his partner Natalie Lowe in the final. They wowed with the Foxtrot, Charleston, Lindy Hop and Showdance.
2010 winner: Kara Tointon
Kara Tointon was the eighth celebrity to win Strictly. She danced with Artem Chigvintsev and failed to receive 40 points throughout her time on the show.
2011 winner: Harry Judd
Former McFly star Harry Judd was the ninth star to lift the Glitterball Trophy. He didn’t top the leaderboard until week seven but then scored 40 points twice in the final.
2012 winner: Louis Smith
The tenth series of the BBC show was won by Olympian Louis Smith. He danced his way to victory with professional partner Flavia Cacace. He faced competition from Kimberley Walsh, Denise Van Outen and Danni Harmer in the series finale.
2013 winner: Abbey Clancy
Model Abbey Clancy won series eleven of Strictly alongside partner Alijaz Skorjanec. She was called a “spectacular dancer” with “wonderful posture” by former head judge Len Goodman.
2014 winner: Caroline Flack
Love Island host Caroline Flack took to the dance floor in series 12 where she scooped the Glitterball Trophy with Pasha Kovalev.
2015 winner: Jay McGuiness
Jay McGuiness surprised viewers when he won the thirteenth series of the BBC dancing competition with Aliona Vilani. When he learned he’d won, he told host Tess Daly: “I feel spaced out – it’s really weird.”
2016 winner: Ore Oduba
Ore Oduba won the thirteenth series of the BBC dancing competition with Joanne Clifton.
The sports presenter broke down in tears after beating Danny Mac and Louise Redknapp.
2017 winner: Joe McFadden
Joe McFadden was victorious with professional dance partner Katya Jones. The Holby City star beat off competition from fan favourite Debbie McGee, Gemma Atkinson and Alexandra Burke.
2018 winner: Stacey Dooley
Documentary-maker Stacey fought off competition to make it to the Grand Final of Strictly Come Dancing with professional dance partner Kevin Clifton last year. When they won, Kevin described her as “the most wonderful person”.