'We're totally in love and trying for a baby': Ben Ofoedu has some surprising words for ex Vanessa Feltz as he and his new wife 'Vanessa 2.0' hit back at critics in a VERY revealing interview from their honeymoon - suong

It's just four weeks since singer Ben Ofoedu walked down the aisle with aesthetics expert Vanessa Brown in a lavish ceremony costing £100,000 and they couldn't sound happier.

Their wedding, which took place in the breathtaking medieval Rose Castle in Cumbria where the bride grew up, was a beautiful ending to a whirlwind romance that began just a year earlier after a chance meeting at an awards ceremony.

Ben, 52, couldn't believe his luck after giving up on love with TV presenter Vanessa Feltz, to whom he'd been engaged for 16 years.

Talking to me from their honeymoon in the Italian city of Verona, the Phats & Small singer and his new wife – 'Vanessa 2.0' as he calls her – are full of plans for their future and tantalising details of the romantic time they're having together.

The pair are staying at the £200-a-night Hotel Bologna, before they travel to celebrate Vanessa's 30th birthday on the shores of Lake Garda.

Ben, who is a 'true romantic' according to his wife, picked the destination because of its Shakespearean connection.

He says: 'Verona is a city of love. We are newly married, and we're totally in love.

'Romeo and Juliet is the classic love story where Romeo will do anything for Juliet, absolutely anything. And I feel the same about Vanessa, so I thought I would bring her to the city of love and take her to Juliet's house. When we looked over the balcony, it was beautiful, really, really lovely.'

Vanessa adds: 'He's very romantic. I'm actually surprised he didn't serenade me on the balcony at Juliet's house.'

'Maybe that's your surprise for later,' Ben jokes.

'We were only up there a minute. I think if we had had longer, he definitely would have sang something,' his wife assures me.

Sadly Ben has to return to the UK on Sunday to start rehearsals for The Full Monty Musical which opens at the Kings Theatre Portsmouth next month.

Vanessa cheekily tells me she has already had a sneak preview of his performance during the honeymoon. 'Front row seats every night,' she laughs.

Ben adds: 'She's quite into the song I do. It's a bit of a strip. She knows all the moves.'

'She's been screaming, and that's just in the bedroom, and she's allowed me to keep my hat on,' he says, referencing the famous song from The Full Monty movie.

When the joking dies down, the pair can't help but share some exciting news.

'We are trying for a baby,' Ben says. 'God is watching, smiling upon us, so we could be very blessed.'

Vanessa hopes it won't be a long wait for the pitter patter of tiny feet. 'Within the next 12 months would be lovely,' she says. 'Obviously, I'm 30 on Saturday, so I think early 30s is the perfect age for me to start a family. So, all being well, I would definitely say within the next year.'

The hopeful parents have already talked about baby names and have settled on the perfect one.

'If we do have a baby girl, we'd love to call it Verona,' Ben says.

Vanessa adds: 'Verona is such a beautiful name, the Beckhams named Brooklyn after where they conceived him. So, you know, following in the footsteps of the Beckhams...'

Like the Beckhams, they also have grand plans for their own business empire. The couple have been working together on a unisex perfume which they hope to launch before Christmas.

'It will be to celebrate our union,' says Ben. 'To celebrate when two become one. It could be called Two Together. I think that men in this society now can smell like women. Women can smell like men and it's a great thing. It will be a scent of love.'

Although they have only been married for four weeks, they tell me they already feel like an old married couple.

Ben says: 'I do think me and Vanessa, we're almost like one person spiritually now. If you've met Vanessa, you've met me; if you've met me, you've met Vanessa.

'We just kind of blend into one and even being together, we don't even notice we're together because we're just like knowing one person.

'We finish each other's sentences and stuff like that, and always say what each other is going to say.

'And we found that with our collection of friends, that our friends are very, very similar, just from different industries, and so everyone gelled together.

'All your doctor friends and my pop star friends. It has just fitted together like a hand into a glove.'

Indeed, among the 72 guests were famous faces including Boyzone's Shane Lynch, who acted as best man, as well as his former bandmate Keith Duffy, S Club 7's Bradley McIntosh and pop group 911's Lee Brennan and Katie Price's ex Dane Bowers. Guests toasted the newlyweds with filled-to-the-brim flutes of £33-a-bottle Jean-Noel Heritage Brut Champagne.

After a romantic first dance to Boyzone's Every Day I Love You – a nod to Ofoedu's long-standing music industry friendships – the crowd was treated to a £7,500 drone show that told the couple's love story.

But not everyone was happy for the couple, including reportedly his ex-Vanessa Feltz who Ben has accused of using him as 'eye candy'.

He previously told the Daily Mail: 'Never again will I do that. I wasted 17 years of my life.'

I ask them what it is like to read negative comments about the happiest day of their lives.

'Everyone's entitled to their own opinion,' says Mrs Ofoedu. 'But the people that really matter to us are the people that were there on our special day, and we have all of their blessings, which is the main thing.'

Ben defiantly adds: 'I can't understand why anyone would say negative things about a union or a marriage. I always think that's such a strange thing for people to do.

'I never really look at the downside. But I would just say this: watch this space, if you're upset about it, then be prepared to be upset for the rest of your life.

'We're coming, there's going to be a brood of babies, starting with Verona. So yeah, let's go.'

So they haven't received a congratulations message from Feltz then?

'Pigs will fly before she does that,' Vanessa says.

Ben confirms he has had no contact with Feltz but he does have a message for his ex.

'We hope she finds what she is looking for,' says Ben, then Vanessa finishes his sentence: 'because we certainly have.'