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CNN Sunday Morning

Anticipation Builds for McCartney-Mills Wedding

Aired June 09, 2002 - 07:15   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: All, right let's take a look now at love, romance, glitz and glamour. Anticipation is building for this week's wedding of ex-Beatle Paul McCartney to former model Heather Mills. Details of the wedding have been shrouded in secrecy, but lots of celebrities are expected to attend, and it's expected to take place at an Irish village.

Our own celebrity, CNN's Richard Quest, joins us from the Irish border village of Glaslough. Now are you going, Richard? That's what I want to know.

RICHARD QUEST, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I was going to say, Kyra, no matter how much you may put it in those terms, I am not getting further than that particular gate. Certainly not with the security that is now surrounding Castle Leslie here in Glaslough in Ireland.

Let me update you on some of the rumor and the speculation that's happened overnight. And by the way, if (UNINTELLIGIBLE) while we're talking, you can hear the sound of a helicopter, that's yet another member of the press who's decided to try and get as close as possible, trying to get those aerial pictures of the preparations in the last few hours or days. In fact, the helicopter is now overhead. There have been plenty of people.

Everyone's trying to get the actual facts, the details, get any picture they can of the preparations of this wedding. To put it into perspective of how much, the overnight newspapers are suggesting that this wedding could cost a total of around about $3.2 million, two and a half million euros. That's an enormous amount of money to spend and where's that money going? It's going on several marquees, one of which is floating on a pontoon in the lake of Castle Leslie, flowers that have been brought in from Holland, food that's been brought in from England.

They're going to fly the 300 guests into Ireland. They've just been told to turn up -- these horses I don't think have gotten anything to do with the wedding. I think they're more to do with the local equestrian center that's also based at the castle, but you never know. Where was I -- oh yes the 300 guests -- they've been told to turn up at London's airport, to give them time with their passports, and the only promise is that they'll be returned back to London the following day.

Now, this is an interesting thing for you, Kyra. The church where the wedding will take place, St. Salvador (ph) is on the estate. This morning this was host to a christening ceremony, and needless to say large members of the press suddenly became very religious and had an overriding burden to unburden themselves in prayer, and I can tell you they got no further than that gate, because clearly, even though one or two tried to sneak in with local residents, the security was far too wily. So no false prayer. The Lord was watching over this morning.

That helicopter taking pictures of what it believes -- I mean, it's an absolute circus that promises to become a three-ring circus in the next 24, 48 hours, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: I don't know, Richard. That helicopter above may be the police getting ready to kick you out. Now I have a question about the horses. Maybe Heather's going to come in on horseback. What do you think, to find her Prince Charming?

QUEST: Well, we're not entirely certain where they are at the moment or indeed how this thing -- I mean, the rumor and the gossip and the speculation -- you -- I could pretty much tell you anything at the moment and that would be based on what we're hearing round -- at the moment. What we do know is why this ceremony's being held. Heather Mills is a divorced woman, was unable to have a Catholic ceremony and that's why they've chosen this particular service.

Although why they've chosen this particular church and this particular location at Castle Leslie, they both have been here. They fell in love with it. I suspect they could -- they knew there was going to be a media circus and what we are told is -- and again, more speculation, that at some point both of them will come out and will actually do a photo call -- not today, probably tomorrow.

PHILLIPS: All right, Richard, now you know before I let you go ...

QUEST: But it might be next week.

PHILLIPS: Yes, you never know. Now before I let you go, you've got to make it clear now. CNN never reports on rumors, gossip or speculation. It's all fact, hard news, right?

QUEST: Would you please -- this is Sunday. We keep those sort of things to lesser broadcasters. There are plenty of other people who will happily give us rumor, speculation and gossip. We'll just stick to the facts.

PHILLIPS: Oh, Richard Quest, it's always a pleasure. Thank you so much. All right.

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