Channel 5 The Trials of Heather Mills: Inside marriage to Paul McCartney - how they met and when they divorced

The life of former model Heather Mills has been chronicled in a new programme, airing on Channel 5 on Wednesday night (April 19). Now 55, Heather found herself in the spotlight after a life-changing incident which saw her lose part of her leg. Years later, she was dominating the headlines again following her high-profile divorce from Sir Paul McCartney.

Heather was knocked down by a police motorcycle in 1993, at the age of 25, which resulted in the amputation below her left knee. She credited veganism for helping to heal her leg wounds after it kept getting infected. She became a campaigner, working with charities and even setting up her own foundation to enable better access to prosthetic limbs internationally.

It was her philanthropic efforts which led her to meet The Beatles star Sir Paul McCartney. Their paths crossed at the Daily Mirror’s Pride of Britain Awards in 2000, where they were both presenting accolades. The pair kept things professional at first, growing closer when they collaborated on recording a single to raise funds for people who had lost limbs in war zones.

READ MORE: Join the FREE Manchester Evening News WhatsApp community

Things soon turned romantic, with Paul proposing to Heather in July 2001 during a Lake District getaway. He told the BBC at the time: "When I proposed I was a bit nervous but I managed. We've had a good reception from relatives and friends and from the media."

The couple wed in rural Ireland, but the wedding was shrouded in secrecy, with guests flown to a mystery destination after arriving at Heathrow airport, reports the Daily Star. Castle Leslie Estate in the town of Glaslough, County Monaghan, was revealed to be the location for the wedding, with the 300 guests dining out