/ 6 February 2006

The ultimate blind date

Two complete strangers will get married in Britain later on Monday after winning the chance to tie the knot in a radio station competition that has drawn anger from religious leaders.

Craig Cooper will meet his bride Rebecca Duffy for the first time at the start of the ceremony organised by commercial station BRMB, based in Birmingham, west central England.

It is the second time BRMB has organised such an event, which they have billed as “the ultimate blind date”.

In 1999 Two Strangers and a Wedding winners Greg Cordell and Carla Germaine married and honeymooned in the Bahamas but split after just three months, returning to their former lives.

Cooper (30) and Duffy (28) spoke briefly to each other on air three days ago and will marry at a central Birmingham hotel before being provided with a house, use of a car for a year and a free honeymoon.

Church leaders have described the stunt as immoral and called it “an affront to the institution of marriage”. – AFP