Amanda Holden has opened up about the real reason behind her marriage to Les Dennis, shedding light on her “very young” state of mind at the time and the safety she felt in the relationship. The actress, now 55, has often been candid about her past relationships, and in a recent interview, she shared more details about her first marriage and her famous “date” with Simon Cowell.
Amanda and Les married in 1995 when she was just 24 years old and he was 42, a significant age gap that stirred media attention. However, their marriage wasn’t without its struggles. The couple split briefly in 2000 after rumors about Amanda’s affair with her Men Behaving Badly co-star Neil Morrissey. Though they reconciled for a time, the marriage ultimately ended in 2003 with a divorce following another separation in 2002.
Reflecting on her marriage to Les, Amanda said that at the time, she was “very young” and had a lot to learn about life. In her interview with The Times, Amanda confessed that while she’d never been to therapy, she felt that “there was a sort of safety in a relationship like that,” suggesting that her relationship with Les may have fulfilled a deeper emotional need at the time.
Les himself has also spoken humorously about their age gap, recalling a moment at home when Amanda, eager to place a bet on the Grand National, made him hand over more money than he had initially planned. The plumber present at the time even commented, “Kids, eh?” a remark that, in hindsight, seemed to poke fun at their age difference.
As for her current husband, Chris Hughes, Amanda has been happily married to him since 2008, and together they share two daughters, Lexi and Hollie.
In the same interview, Amanda also addressed rumors of a romantic relationship with her Britain’s Got Talent boss, Simon Cowell. While she referred to Simon as “godlike,” she dismissed any notions that they ever dated. “He teases me it was a date, but it wasn’t. We went out for dinner, and I took my best friend,” she clarified.
Amanda’s reflections on her past reveal a woman who’s grown, learned, and found lasting love—but also a woman who’s unafraid to address the complexities of her past with honesty and humor.
This candid look at her marriage to Les Dennis and the teasing rumors about Simon Cowell show Amanda Holden’s unapologetically real approach to her life, love, and career.
