We know her best for her role as a judge on Britain’s Got Talent, but Amanda Holden and her family were once again propelled into the spotlight this week after her husband Chris Hughes stepped down as the director of her agency, YMU.
The news emerged on Friday, that Chris had reportedly "quit" as the director at talent agency almost two months before the agency sensationally dropped former This Morning presenter Phillip Schofield last month.
Despite the staff change however, the agency still continues to represent both Amanda, 52, and her BGT co-star Simon Cowell. According to MailOnline, Chris resigned as a director of the holding company of YMU on April 18, and is just one of ten staff members to have resigned from the company in the past three years.
The departure comes as disgraced TV star Phillip, 61, was dropped from YMU after he admitted to having an "unwise but not illegal" affair with a much younger colleague on the set of This Morning.
The former ITV host also stepped down from all his work commitments at ITV. Meanwhile, Amanda has continued to openly express her frustration at the entire This Morning situation, and was even embroiled in rumours of a feud with This Morning host Holly Willoughby, 42, which she vehemently denied in a statement on her Instagram stories.
Away from the drama of TV politics however, Amanda lives a perfectly idyllic life with her husband Chris Hughes and their two children.
Here’s everything we know about the star’s life away from the cameras…
Early Life
Born in Portsmouth in 1971, Amanda Holden spent much of her childhood in the Hampshire town of Bishop’s Waltham, a place where she first discovered her love of the stage at the tender age of nine by joining Bishop's Waltham Little Theatre Company.
Leading a relatively modest childhood, she attending the secondary community school Stanmore College, before relocating to Bournemouth aged 16 where she remained until swapping the coast for South London and a chance to study at prestigious drama school, Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts.
From there, she began to hone her craft before finally being catapulted to stardom on Blind Date in 1991.
Showbiz career
Following her appearance on the show, Amanda swiftly became a household name, particularly in the UK theatre scene where she performed in a number of high profile productions including the Sound of Music.
By 1997, Amanda was a regular cast member on Channel 5 comedy show We Know Where You Live, where she performed alongside other TV favourites including Simon Pegg and Sanjeev Baskar. She also took on a number of roles in everything from Smack the Pony to Cutting It, and previously even appeared in BBC soap opera EastEnders.
As her fame continued to grow, Amanda branched away from fictional roles and became well known as a presenter, including on shows such as Superstar in 2012 and later as a temporary presenter on This Morning during Holly Willoughby’s maternity leave.
Her biggest claim to fame however is as a judge on UK talent show Britain’s Got Talent, a role which she has held for more than 16 years.
Away from her on-screen credits, Amanda is also a highly popular radio host on Heart Radio, where she presents the daily Heart Breakfast alongside co-host Jamie Theakston.
Marriage to Les Dennis
The earliest of Amanda’s known romances is with actor George Asprey, who she first met and dated while starring in the Sound of Music in 1992, but easily the most high profile star in her dating history is comedian Les Dennis who she married in 1995.
Enjoying a tumultuous relationship together, the couple temporarily separated in 2000 after it emerged Amanda had engaged in an affair with actor Neil Morrissey. The couple officially divorced in 2003.
Finding love with Chris Hughes
Shortly after finalising her divorce, Amanda found love with record producer Chris Hughes, and the couple went on to welcome a healthy baby girl in 2006.
Two years later, she finally tied the knot with Chris at an intimate ceremony in Somerset, with Formula One legend David Coulthard even serving as the best man. Loved up and happier than ever, the couple were soon gifted with more baby joy when Amanda discovered she was pregnant, however she sadly lost the unborn child in a miscarriage in 2010.
Baby tragedy
Following the tragic miscarriage of her baby, Amanda was nervously optimistic about another pregnancy which followed shortly after, however she was sadly rocked by tragedy a second time when her son Theo was born stillborn at seven months in 2011.
Amanda discovered the heart-breaking news during a routine scan when it was revealed her baby’s heart had stopped beating. She then made the devastating decision to undergo a caesarian delivery following her son’s death.
Naming the little one Theo, Amanda emotionally marked the 12th anniversary of his passing in 2023, when she shared a photo of his footprints to her fans on social media alongside the words: “Never ever forgotten. We love you Theo.”
Second chance at joy
Although nothing could ever take the pain of losing a child away, Amanda and Chris were later blessed the following year, when their second daughter was safely delivered despite several medical complications along the way.
Both of Amanda’s children still live at home, with the family happily residing in Petersham, Surrey. Alongside their main home, Amanda also owns a quaint cottage in Chipping Norton, which she has famously and painstakingly been renovating since 2017.
For help with related issues, contact Tommy's, a miscarriage, premature birth and stillbirth charity, at [email protected] or call 0800 0147 800
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