West Cork couple marry on The Jennifer Hudson Show in Hollywood

A West Cork couple became the first ever to wed on The Jennifer Hudson Show on Friday, 23 October, with the Oscar‑ and Grammy‑winning host acting as celebrant before a live studio audience.

Amanda Murnane and Brendan Hayes, who have been together for 27 years, travelled from Bantry to Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, California, where the surprise ceremony was staged. Hayes had arranged the surprise in secret with the show’s production team, leading Murnane to believe they were attending a routine recording and photoshoot.

The couple, who first met in Dunmanway and have three children – Rene, Clarice and Michael – and a grandson, had originally planned a simple civil ceremony in Los Angeles in 2026. Instead, they exchanged vows on‑stage, with friends and family watching remotely via Zoom and some appearing briefly on the programme.

Jennifer Hudson pronounced the couple “man and wife”, noting it was the first wedding in the show’s history. Murnane described the moment as “one of the most beautiful moments of my life”, while Hayes kept the plan hidden for months.

The ceremony follows a difficult period for the family, including their eldest daughter’s leukemia diagnosis in 2011, from which she has recovered and now has a son, Wayne.

Source: Irish Examiner. Photo: dumitru bumbu / Pexels.