Comedian and presenter Frank Skinner has married his long-term girlfriend Cath Mason after 24 years together. 

The couple met when she was working for his management company, and they share son Buzz, who was born in 2012.

On the latest episode of his podcast Frank Off The Radio, the 68-year-old shocked his co-hosts Emily Dean, who burst into tears, and Pierre Novellie with his news.

Frank, whose real name is Christopher Collins, excitedly shared: ‘Can you brace yourselves? You’ll never guess what I did on Monday: I got married. I got f***ing married! 

‘Don’t be offended, we didn’t invite anyone. Buzz was a witness. We got married not in a room but on the stairs at Camden Town Hall. 

‘I said to Cath, “Will you marry me?” and she said “I’m not having a f***ing party! I don’t want a load of guests. I’m not going in a church. I don’t want a ring. I’m not wearing a stupid f****ing white dress”. 

Comedian and presenter Frank Skinner has married his long-term girlfriend Cath Mason after 24 years together

‘So it went on. “I’m not doing this!” I said “Oh, forget it.” And then about two weeks later I said, “Okay we’ll do it your way”. I felt bad for the friends. I would have invited everyone.’

Hampstead-based Frank added: ‘We went for a walk on the Heath in the morning and I said “Why are we doing this?” She said “I don’t know. Shall we not do it?” I said “They’re gonna be upset aren’t they, the witnesses.” We hadn’t told anyone else to be upset, and we actually did think “Shall we not bother?” 

‘The thing that no one ever says about getting married is it’s quite embarrᴀssing. How can I put it? It’s a bit basic getting married. We’ve been together 20-odd years. Cath’s not gonna wear a big white fluffy dress. 

‘We hadn’t told anyone except our child – I think you have to have them now, it’s a modern marriage! Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue… and your children!

‘Anyway, we walk up the stairs me and Cath, and they said to Buzz “Just plug your phone in there and you can play the music. So we entered to Lie Dream Of A Casino Soul by The Fall. That sounds gimmicky, like getting married by Elvis in Vegas, but in fact The Fall meant so much to me and Cath when we were in our early days, so it was actually quite an emotional thing.’

When asked what Cath wore, Frank replied: ‘She just wore a flowery dress. She moaned about that. I said “you can’t have leggings!” When she was stripping away all the things we couldn’t have at the wedding, I said, “Can you at least wear…?” 

She said “I’m not changing my name and I’m not wearing a ring. I don’t wear jewellery”, which is true. She said “If I wear a ring, I’ll feel trapped.” I said “you’ll be married, you’re supposed to feel f***ing trapped! That what it symbolises. It’s like a shackle!”

‘This was the most difficult thing and this just isn’t me and Cath… what you have to do is hold hands, both hands, and face each other… like we’re gonna do The Gay Gordons! 

The couple met when she was working for his management company, and they share son Buzz, who was born in 2012

‘Me and Cath, we don’t hold hands unless… I mean, as I get older! So that was difficult. We had to look each other in the eye, and I know she’s thinking, “Why are we doing this?” Anyway, I’m holding both her hands, I mean come on it’s like a f***ing seance! And then we had to repeat the vows. 

‘The last time I took vows I was renouncing Satan and all his empty promises! So there I am promising to not s*** other women – not in so many words, but to be faithful and loving and all that. And then… one thing Cath isn’t great at is PDAs. There were two women doing it who were lovely and very accepting of the fact that we had Greenday while we sat in the registry! That was Buzz’s choice. 

‘She said, “You may kiss the bride”. I kissed Cath. I’m not kidding you it was like kissing a reluctant employee under the mistletoe. I thought, “You’re my wife now!” Anyway, the wedding ended. We played Container Drivers by The Fall.’

Wen asked why he has tied the knot now, he said: ‘I don’t know why. I just thought, “Maybe I’ve got too much money, I’ll give her half in about five years time!” I don’t know why we got married. 

‘It wasn’t even like a tax thing, so I’m not planning on dying anytime soon, and by the time I do die Reform will be in and there’ll be no Inheritance Tax!’

He added: ‘The night before I got married, I lay in my bed thinking “If she f***s off and takes my money, I could end up in a p***-covered bed in a council care home in my 80s, with no money and nothing.” But what’s great about our relationship is I could have those thoughts and come down and tell Cath on the morning of our wedding and she’ll say, “Yes, I know what you mean”, and then we still go and get married! We were alright with that; it was the holding hands and looking at each other that we didn’t like!’

Last year, Frank revealed Cath had rejected his marriage proposals four times, but said he  would keep ‘plugging away.’

He explained: ‘As you get old, ‘my partner’, which is what I tend to call her, sounds like we’re solicitors.

‘A man my age saying ‘my girlfriend’ is nearly as bad as a man my age saying ‘my skateboard’.

‘There’s not a good word for someone you’ve been with for 24 years when you’re our age – other than wife or husband.’

Elsewhere, Frank revealed why the BBC chose to axe his hit panel show Room 101 after 18 series and 24 years in 2018.

The comedian said he ‘made the mistake’ of asking the BBC’s chief content officer, Charlotte Moore, a fateful question in the lead up to the show being decommissioned.

Room 101 then returned with in 2012 with Frank, pictured, until it was axed in 2018 after 24 years

Read More Fans rejoice as BBC confirms legendary TV series is returning to screens after 15 years off air

Speaking to the Radio Times, Frank said: ‘I made the mistake of asking Charlotte Moore at a meeting what she’d personally put into Room 101, given the choice, and shortly after that we were decommissioned.’

The Three Lions writer and performer emphatically told the Daily Star following the 2018 axing: ‘Who the f*** cares?

‘Room 101 is ᴅᴇᴀᴅ. But I’m all right fiscally. I’ve done seven series. I don’t feel that I have been washed up on the shores of stand-up.’

And Frank still made quite the impression on the entertainment industry, being awarded an MBE for services to entertainment in the 2023 New Year’s honours .

That followed the death of his former Absolute Radio co-host Gareth Richards, who died aged just 41 following a car crash .

Witty as ever on receiving his gong, Frank joked that there may have been an ‘administrative error’.

‘I deal mainly in laughs and applause and they disappear into the air quite quickly,’ he said.

‘So getting a proper medal that you can hold on to and polish regularly feels it has given my career a sense of permanence that I like.’