TOWIE star Junaid Ahmed says he plans to invite his estranged family to his upcoming wedding to fellow reality co-star Joe Blackman. Ahmed and Blackman are engaged and have recently announced their plans, with reports saying they became engaged in Albania.
In interviews, Ahmed describes a family relationship affected by their views on his sexuality. Multiple outlets report that Ahmed says his relatives do not accept him being gay, and that they are also described as not accepting him in the context of his Muslim background. Even so, he says he will “save them a seat” at the wedding, indicating he wants them included despite the estrangement.
The outlets differ mainly in emphasis: PinkNews foregrounds the LGBTQ+ angle and the tension between acceptance and inclusion, while The Mirror frames the story as a personal statement about his family and identity. Both accounts center on Ahmed’s decision to extend an invitation to relatives who, he says, do not accept him, and on his relationship with Blackman.
