Josephine 'Josie' McFadyen was the first bride to marry on My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding when she walked down the aisle with Swanley Smith. McFadyen was just 16 when she married Smith in an enormous frilly white frock in a ceremony that was televised in July 2010. The couple, who have a baby daughter also called Josie, split a few months after the wedding following a string of rows. McFadyen has since been accused of attacking a partially blind pregnant woman, Margaret Doyle, and her sister Eileen, in a nail bar in 2016.
Characteristics | Values |
---|---|
Name | Josephine 'Josie' McFadyen |
Age | 25 |
Family Members Involved in the Alleged Attack | Josie Doherty, Barbara McFadyen, Isaac McFadyen, and Charlie Collins |
Date of Alleged Attack | 1st September 2016 |
Victims | Eileen Doyle and Margaret Doyle |
Relationship with Victims | Members of the travelling community |
Location of Alleged Attack | Nail bar on High Street, Twickenham |
Details of the Alleged Attack | Stamping on Margaret's head and stomach, shouting: "Go on, kick the baby out of her" |
Outcome | All five accused pleaded not guilty to violent disorder |
What You'll Learn
Josie McFadyen was the first bride to marry on the show
Josie McFadyen was the first bride to marry on the TV show "My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding." She was just 16 when she married Swanley Smith in an extravagant ceremony in July 2010, with 6.5 million viewers tuning in. McFadyen, who wore an enormous frilly white frock, was swept off her feet by Smith, whom she met on a social networking site six months prior to their nuptials.
However, the couple's relationship soon soured, with McFadyen accusing Smith of bullying her and preventing her from seeing her family. McFadyen and Smith, who shared a daughter named Josie, separated after less than two years of marriage. McFadyen moved out of their caravan and back in with her mother, taking their eight-month-old child with her.
In 2012, McFadyen filed for divorce from Smith, citing irreconcilable differences and a string of rows. She was spotted celebrating her birthday with a friend in central London shortly after announcing the split.
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She married Swanley Smith in an extravagant ceremony
Josie McFadyen married Swanley Smith in an extravagant ceremony when she was just 16 years old. The couple's wedding was featured on the Channel 4 show, My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding, and was watched by 6.5 million viewers. Josie wore a giant white dress, while her bridesmaids wore hot pink. The couple also had a baby daughter, also named Josie, together.
However, the marriage was short-lived, and the couple divorced after less than two years. There were reports of "awful rows" and accusations of bullying, with Josie claiming that Swanley was controlling and put her down. Josie moved out of their caravan and back in with her mother, taking their daughter with her.
The couple's wedding was not the only time they appeared on My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding. They also featured in a later series, and were last seen in public at the National TV Awards in January, where the show was nominated for an award.
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McFadyen was just 16 when she married
Josie previously told how she was 'swept off her feet' by Swanley, 21, who she met on a social networking site six months before they married in her dream fairytale wedding. However, she claimed that cracks started to appear just days after the wedding, and accused Swanley of 'bullying her.'
She said: 'Obviously every girl wants to get married… but it just never worked out for me it was a nightmare from day one. I think things changed and I got to know the real him. It was like he was putting on this big lie.'
Josie has moved out of the couple's caravan and is living in a house in Middlesex with their eight-month-old child, also called Josie, and her mother. She is now back with her dad Chris and mum Josie at their home in Middlesex, where she is sharing a room with her sister Berry, 14.
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She filed for divorce from her husband of two years at the age of 19
Josephine 'Josie' McFadyen, who was the first bride to marry on the TV show, filed for divorce from her husband of two years at the tender age of 19. McFadyen was just 16 when she married Swanley Smith in an enormous frilly white frock in a ceremony that was televised in July 2010. The couple, who have a baby daughter also called Josie, split a few months ago after a string of rows. McFadyen has moved out of the couple's caravan and is living in a house in Middlesex with their eight-month-old child, also called Josie, and her mother.
McFadyen previously told how she was ''swept off her feet' by Smith, who she met on a social networking site six months before they married in her dream fairytale wedding. However, she said that cracks started to appear just days after the wedding, and accused Smith of 'bullying her.' She said:
> 'Obviously, every girl wants to get married… but it just never worked out for me, it was a nightmare from day one. I think things changed and I got to know the real him. It was like he was putting on this big lie. He’d stop me from seeing my mum and my brothers and sister. He would just call them names. Physically he put me down in myself... I didn’t want to be bullied, I still wanted to be treated fair.'
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McFadyen and her relatives were accused of attacking a blind pregnant woman
The five accused, including McFadyen, her mother, Josie Doherty, her daughter Barbara McFadyen, her son Isaac McFadyen, and their cousin Charlie Collins, were said to have "directed violence" at the two sisters, who were also members of the travelling community. The two families had been involved in a long-standing feud.
The court heard that the attackers shouted: "Go on, kick the baby out of her", while stamping on Margaret's head and stomach. McFadyen and her relatives denied the charges, with some claiming they had not been involved in any unlawful violence and others stating they had been inside the nail bar to protect their sister, who was being attacked.
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Frequently asked questions
Josie McFadyen was the first bride to marry on the TV show when she walked down the aisle with Swanley Smith. She was 16 at the time.
McFadyen filed for divorce from her husband of two years, citing that she was bullied by him. She was 19 at the time.
In 2019, McFadyen and her relatives were accused of attacking an eight-month pregnant partially blind woman, Margaret Doyle, and her sister Eileen, in a nail bar.