GUESTS at the wedding of one of the North-East's richest men almost choked on their champagne when pop star Ronan Keating arrived to entertain them.

Graham Wylie, 42, who married his fiancee Andrea, 30, on Saturday, hired the former Boyzone singer to perform at his reception at Slaley Hall, Northumberland.

He splashed out on the star as one of his best known hits, When You Say Nothing At All, features in the film Notting Hill, which the couple saw at the cinema on their first date.

Mr Wylie, who co-founded accountancy software company Sage and has a personal fortune of about £100m, kept the celebrity's appearance a secret from the 250 guests.

They were also entertained by a firework display and live opera at the lavish event, which included ice sculptures, a nine-tier, 300-portion cake, and champagne flutes designed by Jasper Conran.

Among those invited were Newcastle United captain Alan Shearer and manager Sir Bobby Robson.

The cabaret included The Drifters and an 11-piece orchestra, and the whole event was co-ordinated by the London-based Chance Organisation, which was behind David and Victoria Beckham's World Cup party.

The happy couple, now on honeymoon, were said to be delighted with their day.