The Pride of Britain Awards is an incredible night to celebrate our nation's everyday heroes - and it holds a particularly special place in the hearts of Frank Lampard and Christine Bleakley. The Everton manager first met the TV presenter at the ceremony 13 years ago, with the pair getting married in 2015 and going on to have daughter Patricia and son Frederick together.
Frank, who is also dad to daughters Luna and Isla from his previous relationship with Elen Rives, told the Mirror about the time he first set eyes on Christine. When asked about the awards, he said: "Really excited [to be here]. We love this night, we met here 13 years ago pretty much."
"It's a special night for us in our own lives, but more importantly you always hear amazing stories. Meet great people who you don't hear about day to day. So to be amongst that is a great pleasure."
Frank and Christine were among the guests who were left in tears as they watched the amazing award winners reveal their stories and take to the stage.
They both attended the Mirror's Pride Of Britain Awards back in October 2009, which is where their love story first began.
"Christine eyed me up from across the room 13 years ago," joked a giggling Frank, before swiftly adding: "She didn't, she didn't.
"We just had a good evening where she chatted and met through mutual friends and it went from there.
"So from our point of view it's always a nice night but more importantly every year you come you have a great experience hearing people's stories and seeing them get the recognition they deserve."
It was actually the former Chelsea midfielder who went over to introduce himself to Christine, who was a host on The One Show at the time.
Speaking previously on Loose Women, Christine said: "Frank came over to me and said, 'I watch you on The One Show'".
"I said, 'No you don’t! Who was my guest last night?' And he was able to tell me!"
"I just laughed and we both giggled about it. Then that was it. He somehow got my number, and I had a withheld number call my phone on the way home. I picked up and it was him," she continued.
"I said 'Wow, you're keen!' as a bit of a joke, and we chatted, and he said he enjoyed meeting me and would like to stay in touch. It was very relaxed."
"And then he went away with England the next day so I didn’t see him for a couple of weeks. But we spoke on the phone every single night while he was away and one night we spoke for four hours," Christine added.
"So by the time we met again which was a couple of weeks later, we’d done all the awkward chats.
"I knew straight away it could be serious because I knew we could be mates and he made me laugh and we laughed a lot on the phone," she gushed.
They almost didn't meet at all as Christine she had to go straight from BBC ’s The One Show, which she then co-presented with Adrian Chiles, and she came close to missing the event entirely.
Christine remarked: ""I am very, very glad we met when we did, it was definitely about timing for us."
Thankfully they did meet and have since got on to get married and have two kids together.
Christine is also step-mum to Frank's other two children Luna and Isla, and explained how being a step-mum prepared her for having her own children.
In 2018 she said: "I have had the girls since they were 4 and 2 and they are 13 and 11 so I have been through all the toddler years, the primary and secondary school bit and teenagers are around the corner, that is preparation, although the baby years is all new to me!
"So I’ll take it day by day really, like every other new mum."
Do you have a story to share? Email webfeatures@trinitymirror.com
