TOWIE's Junaid Ahmed and Joe Blackman planning huge Bollywood wedding for next summer
The Only Way Is Essex's Junaid Ahmed and Joe Blackman are deep in wedding planning following their beachside Albanian engagement, which aired on the ITV2 show on Monday (17.08.26).
The Only Way Is Essex's Junaid Ahmed and Joe Blackman are planning a huge Bollywood wedding for next summer.
Following their beachside Albanian engagement, the couple are planning one of the "biggest" nuptials Essex has ever seen and are even exploring whether they can arrive on an elephant to honour Junaid's Pakistani and Indian heritage.
On Tuesday (18.08.26), Joe, 27, and Junaid, 31, appeared on ITV's This Morning, and the latter told hosts Craig Doyle, 55, and 42-year-old Angela Scanlon: "We're having a big, huge Bollywood Essex wedding in the summer next year."
Joe added: "It's going to be massive."
Angela wondered if there is going to be an elephant, and Junaid said: "We're currently talking to Brentwood Council."
He continued: "Traditionally, obviously, with my culture in Pakistan and India, they come to weddings on elephants. We're doing our research to make sure it's allowed, and we can do it in Essex.
"So watch this space."
Junaid and Joe have had chats with ITV about having their wedding shown on The Only Way Is Essex.
Joe said: "I would love it to be on TOWIE, 100 per cent.
"I feel like we owe it to the public anyway, 'cause that whole relationship started on TV. So it'd be strange for us if it wasn't on TV, the wedding, wouldn't it? It was so weird."
Junaid added: "It's been amazing. We've been having chats with ITV, so let's see what happens."
He went on to reveal their lavish Bollywood bash will feature traditional outfits and a dramatic first dance.
Junaid shared: "I'm going traditional Bollywood, red with a train. The bridesmaids are gonna come in trains and Bollywood attire."
Craig asked: "Will the first dance be a big Bollywood number?"
Junaid replied: "Yes, there's going to be the drums. We're going to learn our little dance moves. It's going to be good."
He added: "I do all the planning. Joe has the sign-off."
The couple's engagement, which saw Junaid pop the question to Joe after two years of dating, aired on ITV2 on Monday night (17.08.26), making history as the first multiracial gay engagement to feature on reality TV.
However, the celebrations are tinged with sadness, as Junaid's parents do not "accept" him being gay and a Muslim, and he has been estranged from them since coming out at 18.
But the TV personality will still invite them to his and Joe's wedding.
Junaid told The Mirror: "Call me delusional, I would love to have my family there and I would save them a place at the wedding. Whether they'll attend or not, I don't know. But the invite will definitely go out to my mum 100 per cent.
"Obviously, it's so hard for me that my relationship with my family isn't there, which breaks my heart so much. Because they are the people that brought me into this world, and it's things like monumental moments in my life that they're not a part of, which I just never, ever thought would be the case. But sadly it is."
He added: "I love them. I still do, regardless of what's happened. They don't accept me for being Muslim and being gay, but my love will never go. I'm hurt, and I know they're hurt as well, but I can't just switch that love off."
