The original Cutting Edge documentary that visits Gypsy and Traveller weddings, where brides compete to have the biggest dress, but sex before marriage is still a scandal and divorce is unheard ofThis episode looks at milestones in a Gypsy girl's life, en route to the biggest day of her life: her weddingRomany Gypsy Pat faces criticism for marrying a non-Gypsy. But his bride Sam is determined to prove her Gypsy girl credentials with a 14-stone dress that lights up in the dark.A look beyond the sequins and bling to unveil the lot of a Gypsy woman, from low levels of education and literacy to domestic abuse, which is startlingly commonWhile Gypsy and Traveller women want to be a princess on their wedding day, the reality in the Gypsy community is that on every other day it is man who is kingThis episode visits Appleby Horse Fair and examines prejudice against Gypsy and Traveller communities in Britain today, exemplified by wedding venues cancelling Gypsy and Traveller bookingsMy Big Fat Royal Gypsy WeddingNot all the wedding excitement was at Westminster Abbey in 2011.

Here's another chance to grab front row seats to celebrate the real wedding of that year - a Big Fat Gypsy one.My Big Fat Gypsy ChristmasThis episode follows the celebrations and traditions of members of the Irish Traveller community at Christmas, as well as two incredible weddingsThis episode follows 16-year-old Sammy Jo as she enters a Traveller-only beauty pageant. Meanwhile, four cousins compete to have the most memorable outfit at their first Holy Communion.Danielle is determined to live in a traditional way, so at 15 years old she is planning a lavish black, pink and bling hen party. The problem is her groom, Brendan, is up in court on the same day.Fifteen-year-old Santana is planning a lavish 16th birthday party, to include a 16-tier cake decorated with fireworks. No longer at school, Santana spends a lot of her time cleaning the family chalet.This episode explores the cultural divide between Gypsies and non-Gypsies. What happens when the two worlds are joined together in marriage?

Featuring Romany Gypsy and cage fighter Tony Giles.Paddy and his wife have a spectacular New Year's Eve party. Paddy's son Simey trains for a bare knuckle fight against a rival family. Mikey explains what it's like coming out as gay in his community.At Dale Farm, after 10 years of court battles, eviction approaches for 80 families. Excessive Condensation On Ac UnitMeanwhile, Freda, who grew up with non-Travellers, is returning to her Traveller roots to get married.Dc America Patio FurnitureIn the final episode of the series Irish Travellers the McFadyens celebrate a christening, the engagement of Cheyenne and cage-fighter John, and Chris being released from prisonMy Big Fat Gypsy ValentineThis Valentine's special exploring love and courtship in the Traveller community follows 16-year-olds Ina and Danielle as they prepare to marry their first lovesHow can members of the Travelling community afford their extraordinary weddings? Drapery Ideas Pinterest

This programme lifts the lid on a community with its own customs and attitudes to money.Big Fat Gypsy Weddings: Best Dressed BridesDressmaker Thelma Madine reveals the secrets behind her most outrageous creations, from design through to the unique excitement of the wedding day itselfBig Fat Gypsy Weddings: Life on the RunThis episode follows a travelling clan's game of cat and mouse with the councils over a year: the daring 'land grabs' at night, battles with local residents, and the joys of being free spirits...This episode meets Irish Travellers on both sides of the Irish Sea, with weddings, christenings and St Patrick's DayMy Big Fat Gypsy Ladies' DayLadies' Day at the races is a big date in the Gypsy calendar. This one-off special explores the unique bond between the Travelling community and their horses, including road races at night.My Big Fat Gypsy ChristeningThis episode explores the Traveller and Gypsy communities' unique approach to birth and death, revealing a world with its own strict rules of conductBig Fat Gypsy Christmas: Carols and CaravansFrom Travellers soaking up the sun in Tenerife, to a festive 18th birthday and a spectacular winter wedding, a Gypsy Christmas is never without its dramaThis special episode follows gypsies and Irish Travellers as they prepare for the most amazing trip of their livesMy Big Fat Gypsy

Christmas: Tinsel and TiarasThis festive special, packed with weddings, fun and festive spirit, shows that nobody does Christmas bling like Gypsies and TravellersMy Big Fat Gypsy Grand NationalTo celebrate the Grand National Festival, this one-off special follows Gypsies and Travellers as they descend on the biggest event in the horse-racing calendarBig Fat Gypsy Weddings dressmaker Thelma Madine thought she would be delighted when filming began on her new show. But as soon as the cameras stopped rolling at the end of the first day, tears streamed down the designer’s face. Thelma had just started to teach 10 traveller girls how to make the huge, outlandish wedding dresses that have made her famous. But she’d had a shock that was even bigger than some of her gigantic frocks. She says: “After the first day I cried my eyes out and thought ‘what have I done?’. “My vision was to see them all sat in lines sewing and me saying ‘this is how you do it’.

“What I didn’t realise is they don’t act like 16 or 17-year-olds. "They were more like 10 or 11-year-olds because they finished school at 11. “They had no social skills at all or any idea how to behave in the workplace. It was chaos and a bit of a nightmare. “I found out most of them couldn’t read or write. Some couldn’t tell the time so we had them asking what the time was – and even what day it was. “You would tell them we were doing something on Monday and they would ask ‘when is Monday?’. “It knocked me back. We are in the 21st century – I was really shocked.” The forthcoming Channel 4 series, Thelma’s Gypsy Girls, will follow the teenagers working in her new shop and competing to be the best dressmaker. Along with the sequins and stitching there will be squeals and fighting, which should help the Apprentice-style programme rake in most of the seven million viewers who watch Big Fat Gypsy Weddings. “When gypsy girls come in to see me they don’t seem to have anything else in their head other than getting married,” explains Thelma, who says she’s in her 50s but won’t be more specific.

“I know it does me favours but they don’t know any other way because they leave school so young. It’s all about that big day. “The travellers have put me where I am today and I thought it would be nice to try to give something back to them. “I thought I could teach some of them a trade where they could get a job and let them see what it’s like to earn money. So I came up with this idea. “When we did an open day we had loads of girls turn up. I picked 10 and the rest is history.” The show is expected to cause controversy by lifting the veil on the lack of education among some girls in travelling families. Once they are married they are often expected to stay at home and raise children. Scouser Thelma, who is not a gypsy, says: “The girls were all so excited and screaming and shouting at each other, but nobody knew what rules were. “We had to put clock faces up on the wall to show them when they had to be here, when they could have a cup of tea and when to go for lunch.

“Then I realised it wasn’t just teaching these kids to sew – we had to get a tutor to teach them how to read and write. “It was full-on and turned my life upside down. It was three months before things settled down. Now they can all read. They are at different reading levels but they have all improved. “We were trying to teach them to do things with tape measures. But how can you do that if they struggle with numbers? "They didn’t even know how to use a calculator. It was shocking and surreal. “The Romanies will say their kids go to school and learn, but these girls didn’t. "They’re also very needy and will cling on to you and ask ‘Am I your favourite?’ They need you all the time.” Among Thelma’s apprentices are Irish traveller Margaret Toohey, 16, from a trailer site near the shop in Liverpool. Margaret, whose boyfriend disapproves of her working, says her dressmaking experience has changed her. She adds: “I was always sitting at home doing nothing.

Thelma is like another mother. “She has helped me to change my temper, talked to me and calmed me down a lot. She is very helpful and has been leading me down the right path.” Shannon McGuire, 15, who has been in trouble with the police for fighting, is another of the girls. She left school aged 11 and is responsible for looking after her seven siblings. Shannon, who lives in Wrexham, was suspended in the first week of filming for fighting, and says: “The first few days were hard but I’ve changed. I am more polite – Thelma makes you listen.” As Thelma takes me around the workshop, the girls show off their designs for a dress they will wear at the end of the series when a winner will be picked. The show should be another boost for Thelma, who bounced back from being jailed in 2001 for benefit fraud to become the dressmaker gypsies go to if they need flash frocks. But despite raking in a fortune thanks to Big Fat Gypsy Weddings, she says she’s hugely in debt.