A WEST Cork couple have made history by tying the knot on the set of a well-known American television show.

Bantry couple Brendan Hayes and Amanda Murnane travelled to Los Angeles on October 23, with Amanda expecting a simple civil service.

However, Brendan had contacted The Jennifer Hudson Show in August to plan a surprise.

At first, all he asked was if his bride-to-be could have her makeup and hair done by the crew for their wedding day.

Soon the plan evolved into a full-blown wedding on the set of the show, with Jennifer Hudson herself officiating the ceremony and saying: “For the very first time in JHud history, I now pronounce you man and wife!”

Amanda entered Warner Bros Studios under the impression the couple had secured VIP seats for the show with a complimentary photoshoot included.

Instead the pair, who have been together for 27 years, ended up getting married in front of a live audience with family and friends in the crowd, with more watching online.

“I thought I was walking into a TV studio, but I was actually walking into one of the most beautiful moments of my life,” Amanda said.

I went to Hollywood expecting memories, but I came home with a husband.”

The Bantry-based filmmakers met in Dunmanway in 1999 and since then have raised three children, welcomed a grandson and faced some of life’s toughest challenges together, including their eldest daughter’s battle with leukaemia.

The surprise wedding was aired on Tuesday November 3, on The Jennifer Hudson Show.