Samantha came to attention as part of the obese, unemployed Chawner family – dubbed the “Teletubbies” after multiple reality TV appearances
Walking down the aisle yesterday to marry the love of her life, reality TV star Samantha Chawner’s long search for romance and happiness finally came true.
After years of battling her weight and suffering knocks to her self-esteem as part of “Britain’s fattest and laziest family”, the X Factor reject feared she would never find love. So when she put on her ivory bridal gown having lost 10 stone and exchanged rings with husband Matthew Parkinson, 39, Samantha vowed to use the big day as a chance to turn the page in her life story.
The 36-year-old says: “It felt magical as I walked down the aisle towards Matthew in my beautiful dress and veil to the sound of Shania Twain’s From This Moment On. Suddenly, everything that happened before floated away and I was so ready to start my new life as Matthew’s wife.”
Samantha came to attention as part of the obese, unemployed Chawner family – dubbed the “Teletubbies” after multiple reality TV appearances. Her first was when younger sister Emma appeared on The X Factor in 2007. After judge Simon Cowell branded a tearful Emma a “flump” who sang “like a baby”, Samantha, mum Audrey and dad Philip burst into the audition room to challenge him.
The video – in which Simon blamed the parents for being pushy and giving Emma “false hope” – went viral. Emma tried again in 2009, with Samantha by her side also singing Mariah Carey’s Hero for moral support, only to flop a second time.
Next, the outspoken family – who weighed a combined 83 stone and were all out of work – appeared in Lorraine Kelly’s series Big Fat Challenge. The Biography Channel show aimed to give them a life makeover – and it partially worked, as Samantha lost weight and landed a hospitality job at Manchester United.
But as the Chawners’ notoriety grew, the trolls got crueller, saying they were “a disgrace to the nation”. This newspaper got the sisters a stint working at a newsagent – only for them to flunk after a few hours.
Another reality show, The Chawners’ Last Chance – meant to finally get the family fit and find them jobs – followed, as well as an appearance on The Jeremy Kyle Show after mum Audrey walked out on the other three.
Amid all the TV appearances and nasty jibes, Samantha was struggling to date and fall in love, and had resigned herself to single life. So she was delighted when she met Matthew on online dating site Badoo in 2019.
Samantha says: “I saw Matthew and straight away liked the look of him and we began talking. We immediately clicked and shared the same sense of humour. He made me feel relaxed and best of all he’d never heard of me or my family, so he had no preconceived ideas of what I would be like.”
After two months of chatting, the pair eventually met up – and the chemistry was just as strong in real life. Samantha says: “As soon as I met Matthew I knew he was the one for me. We met up in a coffee shop and talked for hours. He understood me and was so supportive of me, and it felt right.”
Matthew felt the same, adding: “I really liked Sam as soon as we started talking online and was so pleased that our first date went so well. Sam is such a kind and honest person, and we just felt comfortable together.”
The next few months were a dream – Matthew bought Samantha a red heart necklace for Christmas and they celebrated their first Valentine’s Day with a trip to Manchester. Lockdown was challenging, as the couple could not see each other for months. But in late 2020 Samantha left her family in Wigan, Greater Manchester, and moved in with Matthew 40 miles away in Bolton.
She says: “It was a big step and my family were not happy about me moving out but I had to do it for my own future as he makes me happy.” That December, she opened a door on her advent calendar to find an engagement ring inside and was thrilled when Matthew proposed.
Samantha recalls: “I started crying and said yes at once, and was really happy as it was a dream come true after everything.”
The pandemic meant their wedding had to be delayed and, sadly, more heartache followed with three failed pregnancies. But the couple have not given up on having their own baby.
Samantha, who cannot work at the moment due to an injury, says: “It was heartbreaking to lose the babies but we are hopeful for the future. I’m also a stepmum to Matthew’s three children, who we see once a month, and we have our dog, one-year-old French bulldog Cleo.”
Samantha became estranged from her family when she moved out and reconciled with mum Audrey just days before she died in January, aged 73. Samantha reveals: “Matthew convinced me that it was the right thing to do to go and make my peace with her and say goodbye.
“I was really shocked as she was so thin and she was blind, and not able to speak, but I told her I loved her and she touched my hand. She knew I was there and I felt like I had made my peace with her.”
Her family told her she was not welcome at the funeral, she claims – so she is planning to commemorate her mum personally now she has married.The big day was held at Bolton’s Albert Hall in front of 100 friends and family – although Emma, 34, and Philip, 68, were not there.
Instead, friend and neighbour Peter escorted Samantha down the aisle. The bride worked hard at her gym and healthy eating regime in the run-up to the nuptials, dropping to 24 stone and a size 22 in order to feel elegant in her Wed2Be lace and tulle gown with 9ft veil.
Matthew, unable to work at present due to a spinal condition, looked dapper in a royal blue suit and fedora, and had his triplet nephews as his best men. At their reception at nearby Farnworth Cricket Club, the newlyweds cut a Lego-themed cake inspired by their shared love of the toy before having their first dance to Ben E King’s Stand By Me.
Samantha says: “I couldn’t believe Matthew and I had so much in common. I was so overjoyed to marry him and become Mrs Parkinson.”
She has also come to terms with her infamous family not being there, saying: “The future is really bright. Matthew’s family are my family now and I feel like I have started a new life – the one I never dared hope for.”
James Parker is a UK-based entertainment aficionado who delves into the glitz and glamour of the entertainment industry. From Hollywood to the West End, he offers readers an insider’s perspective on the world of movies, music, and pop culture.
