ITV Britain's Got Talent judge Amanda Holden admits 'big lie' she told to secure movie role
Amanda Holden has been a familiar face on British TV screens for nearly three decades, but it turns out that the Britain's Got Talent judge has been bending the truth to bag roles for just as long
Britain's Got Talent judge Amanda Holden has confessed to telling "a big lie" to land a part in the 2001 film The Hunt.
The 54 year old portrayed Sarah Campbell in the movie, which is characterised on YouTube as: "A story of love, sex, seduction and violent death, set against the backdrop of a battle amongst the hunting fraternity."
During Wednesday's Heart Radio Breakfast Show, her colleague Jamie Theakston revealed he had bought Amanda's 2013 autobiography, No Holding Back, and quizzed her on how much she recalled from it.
As he leafed through the book, he remarked: "You mentioned that you got a job on the show called The Hunt, and that you told a big lie on your CV."
Amanda vividly recollected the fib, interjecting: "Yes, that I could horse ride," reports Plymouth Live. Jamie confirmed with: "And that is the right answer."
Reflecting on the experience, Amanda recounted having to "canter along the South Downs" despite her lack of equestrian skills, but claimed she's much improved since then.
After Jamie playfully pressed the buzzer to suggest she was incorrect, Amanda retorted in jest: "How dare you!"
She elaborated: "I can ride a horse now, I had to canter along the South Downs where Chitty Chitty Bang Bang was filmed, I filmed in that village."
In No Holding Back, Amanda was candid about her professional journey and personal life, including insights into her first marriage to TV personality Les Dennis.
The former pair, who first met in 1993 during a staging of The Sound of Music, wed in Bournemouth two years on.
Their marriage ended after eight years when Amanda's affair with Neil Morrissey hit the headlines.
The broadcaster has since remarried talent manager Chris Hughes and they have two teenage daughters together.
In conversation with Jamie, Amanda expressed her desire to pen another autobiography covering recent events in her life.
"I actually wrote that biography myself," she revealed. "Lots of celebrities can't say that and it got to number eight in The Times' bestsellers.
"I feel like there's a second part that should be coming," Amanda hinted, prompting Jamie to enquire: "Is there?"
She responded: "Well, don't you think? My life from 2013 to now, the stuff I could write Jamie Theakston!"
Jamie then joked that the book only cost him £2.50, leading Amanda to quip: "Yeah, probably now, it's in the bargain bucket isn't it?", before encouraging listeners to purchase it.
Britain's Got Talent returns tonight (Saturday, May 24) at 7pm on ITV.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time Out
an hour ago
- Time Out
Cascais hosts Atlantic Sunsets: electronic music parties take over the Marina and Forte de Santo António da Barra
It's not every day that the Cascais' Marina and the Forte de Santo António da Barra in Estoril get transformed into dance floors – but that's exactly what's happening this August with Atlantic Sunsets, a series of electronic music parties set to take over these unlikely spaces. On August 2nd, the Marina de Cascais hosts sets from Australian DJ RY X, French artist Marten Lou, local duos Moullinex & GPU Panic (in a special hybrid set they're calling MXGPU) and Ari Girão & John Woods. Then, on August 16th, as previously announced, the Forte de Santo António da Barra welcomes the British act Jungle (in DJ set mode), Turkish talent Carlita, plus Ari Girão & John Woods once again, along with a surprise international artist whose name will be revealed on June 29th due to contractual reasons. 'With a limited capacity, the Cascais Atlantic Sunsets were designed as a sophisticated, sensory experience where every element – from the line-up to the setting – was chosen to create unforgettable sunset moments,' the organisers said in a statement. 'The Marina, usually all about nautical life, and the Forte de Santo António da Barra, rarely opened for events, are now transformed into unexpected stages for a unique celebration of music and place.' Tickets are available online now, priced between €30 and €35, with a VIP package also on offer for €150. The event is organised by Gigs on Mars with support from Cascais City Council and Turismo de Cascais.
Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Daily Mirror
Secret 'spicy island' in European holiday hotspot where Brits romp on sunbeds
While the secret island doesn't show up on maps, hundred of adventurous Brits escape there every summer where connections are anything but conventional "You're on an island where anything goes, but it feels incredibly safe nothing happens without consent. It's like Disneyland for swingers" - so says one of the holidaymakers to the so-called 'Spicy Island', where Brits indulge in their wildest fantasies. Amanda Leigh, a 38-year-old dancer, found unexpected freedom in a hidden swingers ' haven off Croatia's coast. She anticipated a "hot girl summer" but ended up meeting her now-partner Alex, during a skinny-dipping adventure amid strangers. Her journey into the swinging lifestyle began over a decade ago at an adult-only resort in Mexico. Now, she's a seasoned participant, with Spicy Island being her destination of choice. "Last year I met Alex and this year we're ready to open our relationship up," Amanda shares. "I want to fulfil the 'hot wife' fantasy and I'm looking forward to exploring this further." The exclusive two-week getaway, now in its third edition, is run by Spicy Match, who take over the entire island for as many as 600 guests. The secret location is revealed only once attendees board on the boat from the mainland. The ticket prices range from £1,000 for a simple bell tent to £2,500 for a luxurious two-bedroom sun lodge, complete with meals, fire-eaters and educational sex seminars. "You only find out where it is when you get on the boat," reveals Amanda. It was on this mysterious hour-long boat ride that she encountered Alex, a spa technician. "I couldn't get over how hot Alex was," she confesses. "We started flirting right then and there, and by the third night we were together while skinny-dipping in the pool." The pair didn't end up swinging with anyone else, instead spending the trip getting to know one another. Amanda says the sex was "incredible" and finds the freedom of being intimate on the beach or in front of others "very liberating". Upon arrival, guests are greeted with a welcome bag containing condoms and wristbands to tell them apart from staff. Video recording guests is banned, but stripping down is encouraged. The resort designates "play area" zones for various interests - couples, singles, and those into BDSM. Amanda wants to set the record straight on swinging, noting: "People think swingers are gross or glorified cheaters. But it's about consent and communication. You're free from unwanted advances - it's nothing like a standard nightclub." The island attracts people of all ages, including James and Katherine Gordon, 55-year-old sweethearts from Kent who have been swinging since their teens. Katherine shares with confidence: "We've been to swingers events all over the world; the island ranks at the top. We'll literally say, we're into full swapping and single men." Before arriving, they'd already connected with others online and planned to meet for dinner in the port town. "Last year, 40 of us had dinner together the night before we left," Katherine recounts. "It's easy to build connections before you've even arrived." She admits her preference for younger men often takes the lead when it comes to flirting. James humorously remarks that he is content to "outsource" these days, admitting he can't keep up. "The meals on the island are communal, so we sit next to people we think we'll vibe with," she continues. "You flirt like you would in any bar or club." Katherine reveals that while she may be reserved in day-to-day life, this lifestyle unveils a more audacious side of her. They reserve a two-bed lodge, dedicating one room for rest and the other for enjoyment. "It just suits us better," she confides. "And after 30 years, we've made a lot of friends here." She describes the atmosphere as inviting: "You might see people having sex on verandas or making out on shared beds or you might find someone quietly reading a book." Meanwhile, Katie Jones, 38, and husband Simon, 49, from Hertfordshire, gear up for their second jaunt to the island, having stumbled upon it during a trip to the French naturist resort Cap d'Agde. Embracing the liberty to be nude, unwind or participate, Katie shares, "You can find a quiet spot or join the pool parties - there's an amazing energy." Despite the anything-goes atmosphere, she notes that the retreat doesn't rely on booze to get the party started. "People don't get too drunk because it's about sex and alcohol doesn't help with that." She describes the event as liberating and relaxed. "If you're curious, you can come and see what you find. You don't have to swing but it's all there if you want it."
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
'Meghan's an influencer, Sophie has real influence': Royal expert's damning verdict on Harry's wife 'wasting her potential' on jam and rosé - while Duchess of Edinburgh visits war zones and champions women's rights
Meghan Markle is a self-proclaimed feminist and vowed to continue her work for women's advocacy even when she stepped down from official royal duties with Prince Harry. But since the launch of her Netflix series and lifestyle brand, As Ever, it's another royal who was become synonymous with working tirelessly in the women's rights realm, while Meghan's public persona is all jam and flower sprinkles. Just last week, Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, was at the Imperial War Museum to visit the UK's first exhibition on the victims of sexual violence in conflict and gave an impassioned speech, where she spoke movingly about a visit she made to Kosovo in 2019 and the 'shame and stigma' of the rape survivors she met. Discussing the horror of the many women who fell pregnant by their attackers, she said: 'The stigma that is sadly placed on the women….it's about the mothers. In so many countries they can't even go back into the home place.' Royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams told MailOnline that this is exactly the kind of hard-hitting advocacy work that could have allowed Meghan to flourish in the Royal Family given it's so far removed from the 'softer' duties, involving cutting ribbons and shaking hands. 'Meghan is struggling to be an influencer, Sophie has influence in ways that really matter, which Meghan could have been,' he said. 'Meghan has always boasted about how she promotes feminism. 'Yet contrast the occasional speech she makes in comfortable surroundings with the remarkable work of Sophie who actually visits areas of the world such as Sudan and Chad which have been devastated by war and attempts to comfort the women who are victims of rape and exploitation. In recent years the King's sister-in-law, who is married to his brother, Prince Edward, has travelled to current and former war zones including Chad, the Congo, Kosovo, South Chad, Lebanon and Sierra Leone (pictured) 'If Meghan had seriously wanted to make a difference, she should surely have remained a senior working royal. 'It does involve compromise, but think what could have been achieved for an important cause she claims is so dear to her heart.' He added that Meghan's departure from frontline royal duties is a case of 'wasted potential', while Sophie has 'proved she's the Royal Family 's champion of women's rights ' 'While Meghan sends pots of jam to celebrities, it is the Duchess of Edinburgh who meets survivors of conflict-related sexual violence and displaced women in a landmark visit to Ukraine,' he said. In April last year, Sophie bravely denounced Putin's forces for using rape as weapon of war as she became the first British royal to visit Ukraine since Russia 's invasion in February 2022. In 2015, before she began dating Prince Harry, Meghan gave a keynote address on gender equality for UN Women in New York. She received a standing ovation from guests including Ban Ki-moon, then UN secretary-general. Then in 2018, Meghan went off-script at the Royal Foundation Forum and spoke about women's empowerment. Sophie bravely denounced Putin's forces for using rape as weapon of war as she became the first British royal to visit Ukraine since Russia 's invasion in February 2022 But it was during the same visit that she was criticised for touching on the political issues of Time's Up and #MeToo. She said: 'Women don't need to find a voice because they have a voice, they need to be empowered to use it and people need to be encouraged to listen.' Richard explained: 'In her visits to Rwanda in 2016 and India in 2017 and in a memorable speech to the United Nations International Women's Day Conference in 2015, she campaigned for equal opportunities. 'She stressed this in her visits to the Antipodes and South Africa when she and Harry were still senior working members of the royal family. 'This potential has surely been wasted since she and Harry stepped down from royal duties.' When she first joined the Royal Family Meghan said she was committed to continuing her advocacy work in her new role. She said: 'With fame comes opportunity, but it also includes responsibility – to advocate and share, to focus less on glass slippers and more on pushing through glass ceilings.' She previously said it's essential to use one's voice to advocate for change and that 'hashtags are not enough'. This comes as it was reported that Meghan reportedly plans to add hotels and restaurants to her As Ever lifestyle brand after her raspberry preserve, flower sprinkles and crêpe mix quickly sold out. Brand experts have claimed hotels and restaurants fit in nicely with the Duchess' business brand. Richard said: 'Her handling of her lifestyle brand As Ever, is erratic, she apparently will be releasing more products contrary to her intention to step back after the first batch supposedly sold out. 'We await the second series of With Love, Meghan, filmed back to back with the first, with trepidation. ' Netflix seems on board for a part renewal of the contract with the Sussexes but how, one wonders, will that benefit the charitable causes that are supposedly so dear to her heart, especially when her family, with the exception of her mother, so distant and so publicly so.' Most recently Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, has spoken passionately of her campaign to highlight the plight of victims of sexual violence in conflict. Sophie, 60, has spoken out on the issue for years and met hundreds of survivors around the world. The Duchess visited the UK's first exhibition dedicated to the subject earlier this month at the Imperial War Museum in London. Sophie stands alongside survivors of sexual violence in conflict from the Kosovo War and Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Survivor Champions in October 2019 The exhibition, Unsilenced: Sexual Violence in Conflict, will run until November 2. Featuring shocking stories ranging from the First World War until the present day, the royal expressed her frustration as she toured the displays at the way the issue is still swept under the carpet - and the cultural norms that give rise to the degradation of women even to this day. It is a subject the Duchess - who was making her visit to the exhibition ahead of International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict on June 19 - says is woefully 'under-discussed'. In recent years the King's sister-in-law, who is married to his brother, Prince Edward, has travelled to current and former war zones including Chad, the Congo, Kosovo, South Chad, Lebanon and Sierra Leone. She has devoted much of her latter working life as a royal to supporting the Women, Peace and Security Agenda and is passionate about championing gender equality. Shocking stories of the use of rape and sexual assault as a weapon of war against both women and men have emerged from the current conflict in Ukraine. Meanwhile Meghan appears to have turned her focus to her reported $100million, five-year deal with Netflix. In her most recent series, With Love, Meghan, the Duchess shares lifestyle and cookery tips such as how to perfectly cut a pineapple. The Duchess of Susse x also launched her new podcast series, Confessions of a Female Founder, which features interviews with female founders and friends about their experiences launching and building businesses. The podcast aims to explore the successes and challenges faced by women in entrepreneurship. Her previous podcast, Archetypes, which aired on Spotify in 2022, explored the labels and stereotypes that hold women back. The series featured interviews with notable figures like Serena Williams, Mariah Carey, and Paris Hilton. While successful in its first season, the podcast did not get renewed for a second season, and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's Spotify deal was terminated.
