Martin King and Jenny prepare for two weddings in the family

Martin King and his wife Jenny McCarthy have a busy year ahead of them as they celebrate two family weddings.

The couple, who have five children together, are in the midst of wedding planning as two of their children, daughter Victoria and son James, are due to marry next year.

The bride's father, Martin, will play an important role in Victoria's wedding as he will walk her down the aisle and possibly give the speech.

Victoria, Martin's daughter from his first relationship, is engaged and will marry her fiancé Eoin in New York in September 2023. According to Martin, it will be a “small affair” with the family.

Meanwhile, their son James will marry closer to home in Ireland, where he will marry his fiancée Shauna after proposing to her at Christmas two years ago.

Speaking to EVOKE on the occasion of Ireland AM’s 25th anniversary, Martin said: “We have some big things coming up in the next few months.”

“A couple of our kids are getting married. We have two weddings coming up in the next seven or eight months, so we have a lot to look forward to. There's about four or five months between the two.”

Martin is preparing to walk his daughter down the aisle, and he admits he's a little nervous about the occasion.

He said: “I'm a bit nervous about it. It's different. You can be on radio or TV and do your job, but when it comes to something like this, it's personal and different and it gets on your nerves.”

And despite his 26 years on television, Martin said it won't make giving a speech at the wedding any easier, as he predicted it could be “emotional.”

He said: “It's a personal matter, so I'm always nervous. When our other son got married a few years ago, I had to give a speech, so I was incredibly nervous when that happened.

“I remember talking to Marty Whelan because Marty's daughter was getting married and he was giving the speech. He said, 'I've never been so nervous' and he was going to do big concerts like the Eurovision Song Contest. I completely understand that. It can get very emotional.”

Although his wife Jenny works as a wedding photographer, Martin said she will be off duty for both of the family's weddings!

Before the double wedding year begins, he and Jenny, who have been married since 2011, are taking a couples holiday to Tenerife to soak up some sun before the wedding hustle and bustle.

He said: “We are going to Tenerife shortly. It will be just the two of us. We are looking forward to just enjoying a bit of September and October sun and then diving back into the sun.”

Sounds like an exciting year for Martin and Jenny!