WEDDING BILLS IN THE AIR (1/6/04)

From The Sun.

THE Bill’s longest-serving characters June Ackland and Jim Carver are to marry — after an on-off romance that has taken 20 YEARS to come to the boil.

The pair, who have been in the ITV1 cop show since it started in 1983, will finally get together for good with a big summer wedding.

A show insider said: “It’s the moment millions of fans have been waiting years for — it’s a really big glamorous event.”

The wedding scenes are to be filmed in the next couple of weeks at a secret location.

But we can exclusively reveal that things will not go as smoothly as Sgt June (Trudie Goodwin) and PC Jim (Mark Wingett) would hope.

June was a loser in love last year after being wooed by evil copper Gabriel Kent (Todd Carty) who lied that he was the son she gave up for adoption aged 15.

Twisted Gabriel will be lurking in the shadows in a bid to put a halt to the wedding.

The source added: “Gabriel’s got some plans up his sleeve so there is a big question mark over whether they actually make it down the aisle.

“Jim and June have never been lucky in love, so it would be a miracle if they do manage to get married.”

Sgt June and PC Jim have had an on-off romance for years.

The couple split when he married family liaison officer Marie Graham last June.

But Jim divorced Marie because she was an alcoholic with a violent temper who beat him up.

The insider added: “Jim proposes to June after a life-changing experience for both of them.

“It makes him realise she is the love of his life — and so he pops the question.”