15-05-2025
Real Housewives of London star who will bring a heavenly touch to new series! Skincare founder Amanda Cronin reveals she's a 'toughened up' born-again Christian after her divorce from Swiss millionaire
Watch out, ladies! Model turned skincare founder Amanda Caroline Cronin, who will be starring in the brand-new reality series, Real Housewives of London, won't be pulling any punches when the show airs this autumn.
The glamorous beauty entrepreneur admits she's not to everyone's liking after a religious awakening taught her to 'toughen up' and set strict boundaries with friends and lovers – even if that means some fall by the wayside.
'I became a Christian five years ago, and it has completely changed my life and my approach to relationships,' she says.
'It helped me strip everything back to its authenticity and let go of people that don't serve me anymore – whether that's a friend or a partner or a family member.'
In an exclusive interview with MailOnline, the 56-year-old – also known as 'the longest legs of Belgravia' owing to her slender 37-inch pins – says the collapse of her marriage to her second husband, Swiss energy tycoon Mark Daeche, in 2019 forced her to completely re-evaluate her life choices.
'I created a new identity for myself after going through such a difficult time with the divorce,' she says.
'It was a time when I had to take a deep look at myself – and I've done a lot of looking at myself now, and a lot of healing. I feel now that I'm finally in a really good place.'
After she split from Mark, Amanda started dating Wham! singer Andrew Ridgley – but they parted ways in 2023 because, as she has since explained, she 'wanted a monogamous relationship'.
Speaking with me at her Belgravia mews house, she says: 'I'm a very kind, soft woman, but I've learned to set boundaries.
It's made people see me differently, and not really recognise me in a way because I have changed so much.
'I was always a bit of a people-pleaser before. I never had boundaries growing up.
'I think it's healthy for people to know what their boundaries are and make that clear with other people. Otherwise, you get walked over and you get hurt.'
She adds: 'I really recommend letting go of people and things that don't serve you.
'It can become really inconvenient for others, because people do prefer the pushover type, but it's working very well for me.'
Amanda, who burst onto our screens in 2022 starring in Channel 4's Millionairess and Me, is making sure to teach her 26-year-old daughter, Sofia, to develop a tough exterior, too.
'I don't know if people-pleasing is a female trait, but having boundaries is something that I'm instilling in my daughter,' she explains.
'It's something that I learned very late, and I think if I'd learned it sooner, my life may have been slightly easier.
'Although it's good to care about people, you have to start with looking after number one – and being in a good place yourself. It's so, so important.'
When she turned to religion and stopped people-pleasing, other bad habits wore out, too. 'You just get to know yourself more. And as you strengthen yourself, the wrong things fall away – alcohol just fell away. I've become a stronger, more confident person in my faith.'
She adds: 'I'll still have the odd cocktail on holiday or for a special occasion.'
Faith has played a crucial role in all areas of her life. At 50, Amanda launched her skincare brand, Amanda Caroline, which sells high-end products such as £150 Haute Lift Serum and £130 Haute Lift Cream.
The brand counts TV presenter Lisa Snowdon and model Victoria Silvstedt among its loyal fans.
'I run a Christian company, and we're what we call a kingdom business. Our finances are full kingdom,' she says, referring to a way of managing wealth and resources based on Christian principles. 'And a lot of my therapists are Christian, too'.
Inspired by her own post-divorce transformation, her mission is to help women feel the best version of themselves.
'I wanted to create a brand that gives women approaching midlife confidence in how they look and feel. And who says women can't thrive in midlife? I started my company after going through a divorce!'
Looking every inch the polished powerhouse, Amanda is now juggling her skincare brand and Belgravia aesthetics and wellness clinic, The Secret Door, alongside her new filming projects.
The clinic has become something of a word-of-mouth hit with London's well-heeled beauty insiders including ex-Made in Chelsea star Millie Mackintosh, who was there last week getting a facial.
'The clinic has been a huge passion project,' Amanda says. 'It's a space where women – and men – can come and feel elevated.
'We're not trying to change people's faces, we're enhancing what's already there.
'Filler can add a very unnatural look. We do very little filler in the clinic, and actually very few people ask for it now. It's been overused and overdone.'
Amanda is the face of the brand, and it's easy to see why. 'My skin looks better now than it did when I was 40,' she says.
'I get more compliments now when I'm not wearing makeup.'
Even with all the excitement of a starring role in reality TV, Amanda insists she's staying grounded – and true to her new-found Christian values
Her regime includes Botox and polynucleotides – an anti-ageing injectable made from salmon sperm DNA – administered by celebrity aesthetician Dr Richard Marques, alongside regular Skinstorm facials at her clinic.
'I'm really proud of everything we offer,' she adds. 'Skinstorm is phenomenal for rejuvenating and refreshing the skin. I swear by it.'
Despite the high-tech treatments and luxe packaging, Amanda says her approach is about confidence, not perfection.
'There's so much pressure to look young, but I'm more interested in looking fresh and confident,' she explains. 'I think it would be weird at my age not to have wrinkles when you smile.'
Even with all the excitement of a starring role in reality TV, Amanda insists she's staying grounded – and true to her new-found Christian values.
'I've changed a lot, but it's for the better. I've been through enough to know who I am now – and I'm not compromising on that,' she says.
With her booming skincare brand and wellness clinic, and a new reality TV series on the horizon, Amanda is showing that reinvention at midlife isn't just possible – it can be downright fabulous.
