Sophie Anderton calls wedding to Count Kaz Balinski-Jundzill ‘the happiest day of my life’

Sophie Anderton has described her wedding to Polish aristocrat Count Kazimierz ‘Kaz’ Balinski-Jundzill, 53, as ‘the happiest day of my life’.

The model, 44, who found fame as the face of Gossard bras in the 1990s, tied the knot in Ireland on August 5 after the couple postponed their wedding three times due to the pandemic.

However the star admitted she ‘never thought marriage was on the cards’ and had been nicknamed ‘the runway bride’ but added: ‘Love comes into your life when you’re not looking for it.’

Sophie, who wore an ivory lace wedding gown designed by Irish couturier Helen Cody, told HELLO! magazine: ‘I’ve waited all my life to meet the person I wanted to marry. Although I’ve loved, I’ve never been in love until now.’

She added: ‘Kaz kept telling me it [marriage] would suit me, and he was right.’

The couple had a civil ceremony in the village of Laragh earlier this month, with Balinski-Jundzill’s daughter, Charlie’s Angels star Ella Balinska, acting as ring bearer.

The ceremony was followed by a wedding reception at their family home, Glendalough House.

Balinski-Jundzill – who works in the extractive oil industry – told the magazine he was ‘in awe’ of Sophie on their special day and even had to ‘look away’ to prevent himself from crying.

Speaking with The Daily Mail’s Richard Eden after her wedding, Sophie said: ‘Yesterday, I married my best friend, soulmate and lifetime partner in crime.

‘I cannot believe after so many obstacles and date changes, I am officially Mrs Kaz Balinksi.’

Kaz owns a 1,500-acre estate, Glendalough House, in County Wicklow.

Sophie and Kaz had to postpone their nuptials twice last year due to Covid — and then again at the end of July when one of Kaz’s four children fell ill.

One of Kaz’s children is actress Ella Balinska, 24, who he shares with TV chef ex-wife, Lorraine Pascale. Ella starred in the 2019 Charlie’s Angels film.

The happy newlyweds have been together for more than four years, with Sophie often gushing about their relationship.

In 2018 she shared her excitement about the future and told blog Beautiful Thinking: ‘I’m really looking forward to getting married and having children. I’ve been waiting for someone to be an amazing father to my children, and it was so worth the wait’.

While in February 2020, before having to push her nuptials back to 2021, Sophie also shared some of her plans with The Daily Mail’s Sebastian Shakespeare.

She said: ‘We feel our life together is moving forwards after the standstill of the past eight months. It will only be a civil wedding in February — a very small affair.

‘But we’ll have a big blessing ceremony in the summer that Kaz’s children can attend and all my family and friends who are all around the world.’

And speaking about relocating to Ireland, Sophie added: ‘The best thing I ever did was get out of London — much as I love London. I’ve now got the mountains.’ 

Sophie previously dated a string of stars including singer Matt Goss and former Chelsea goalkeeper Mark Bosnich. 

She was previously engaged to businessman ex Mark Alexiou, who popped the question in 2005, but the pair split shortly after.

Since being in the spotlight Sophie has transformed her lifestyle and now prioritises her health and wellness following her highly publicised battle with drink and drugs.

Speaking to The Daily Mail in 2015, the media personality dismissed her past as ‘light years from where I am now.’

She explained: ‘I was very unhappy [in my 20s]. I had no control over who I was or how I looked.

‘I was a model but at some point modelling became only one part of what was required of us, and suddenly to be successful we had to be celebrities.

‘It’s not something that came naturally. I was terrible at being famous.’

Read Sophie’s full interview in HELLO!, out now.