'Better than the Rover's Return': Preston pub elated at surprise celeb visit

A much-loved pub in Preston enjoyed a new type of buzz this weekend after a surprise visit from a local celebrity.

Kym Marsh was enjoying her Sunday evening at the Wellington Hotel on Tulketh Road when she was spotted by keen-eyed Corrie fans perched in the pub.

The actress was joined by boyfriend Tom Dickinson, a senior commercial manager who she met on an online dating site last year.

In March, the pair were said to have gotten engaged on a whirlwind trip Paris, after Marsh posted an Instagram picture sporting a ring on her wedding finger.

Meanwhile in October, insiders told The Sun that the pair were already planning a secret summer wedding next year.

“People might have assumed that Kym would get engaged and had no real plans to marry, but that couldn’t be further from the truth,” a source said.

“She hasn’t been put off by her previous marriages and truly does believe Tom is her happy ever after."

Best known for her 13-year role as Michelle Connor on Coronation Street, Marsh first rose to fame after appearing on reality TV series Popstars in 2001, and joining the band Hear’Say as a result.

She went on to pursue a solo career in music before making a home on the cobbles, and later began presenting BBC One’s Morning Live.

She has most recently played the role of Nicky Walters on Waterloo Road.

On Sunday, Marsh and Dickinson were spotted enjoying their evening at the Wellington, with Marsh taking pictures with staff and customers.

The pub’s licensee told the Post: “We had a fantastic time with her.

“She and her fiancé knew some of the customers, so they came in and had a few drinks.

“We really were very lucky. We’re a very welcoming pub - everyone really knows each other. She came in because her fiancé knew one the customers.

“She’s never been in before, but she has stated she’ll be in again in the future. She had a really good time, and she enjoyed herself.”