Mum “married” ideal man Richard Branson in local library and takes his cardboard cut-out to bed

A MUM who claims to have married Virgin boss Richard Branson held a ceremony to celebrate their nuptials and now sleeps with a cardboard cut-out of her “husband”.

Deborah Hodge, 43, has never met the businessman but claims he got her through ‘difficult times’ and is a supportive partner.

The mum-of-four’s infatuation with millionaire Branson, 66, came after she wrote to him asking for a loan to help with medical costs for her seriously ill daughter.

Deborah, from Bexleyheath, South London, said: “I began tweeting him everyday – I’ve now sent over 2,000 tweets to him – and it’s gone from there.

“At first I was just trying to get his attention but now my whole life is Richard Branson.

“If I see pictures of him with other women I get really jealous.”

The full time mum “married” Branson in an “impromptu wedding ceremony” in Slade Green library in July last year.

Deborah said: “We performed a wedding ceremony. Someone was dressed as a nun, I was wearing a veil anyway. Obviously it isn’t a legal thing.

“It’s funny to laugh at but he has become such a big part of my life.

“In my head it’s like I’ve got a partner which is why I’m not looking for anyone else. He is ideal as he doesn’t answer back.

“I’ve put real hair on him. He is on basically every wall in the house.”

She added: “I am not looking for anyone else. He got me through a tough few months. I have been able to latch onto something and someone. It is someone to lean on.

“If I ever met him in person – my stomach is going over as I say it. I feel a bit sick and I’m blushing thinking about it. He is an icon of our time.

“And now the cardboard cut-out is in my bedroom, next to my bed and he is with me every night.

“I had to get a new cardboard face because I used to kiss it good night and the lips wore off. I have a few now and sometimes take them out.

“I did put I was married on my Facebook but took it down as I did think are people going to think I’m crazy.”

Deborah did have the chance to meet her ideal man – but turned him down as she was expected to fork out travel costs.

She said: “In March 2015 I was invited to a seminar that he would be at as I had applied to Pitch to Rich, a competition with him.

“I didn’t go, I blew him out. It was too expensive. It smacked of ‘hello if you want me to come and meet him then where is my ticket?’”

Deborah added: “I started to make films about him where we met.  I started painting him. I have a picture of him naked in my living room. Everything was Richard Branson.

“I’d always admired him. Now my whole life is Richard Branson.”

Branson is in fact married to Joan Templeman.

The couple were married on Necker Island in 1989.

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