06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Amanda Holden speaks out on wild Les Dennis split rumour as she sets record straight
Britain's Got Talent judge Amanda Holden has decided to settle a very wild rumour about her time with first husband Les Dennis following their split in 2002
Amanda Holden has settled a very baffling rumour following her split from husband Les Dennis over 20 years ago. The Britain's Got Talent judge tied the knot with Les, who is 18 years her senior, back in 1995.
They had a whirlwind romance, with Amanda aged just 24 at the time. However, their romance wasn't meant to be as it all came crashing down at the end of 2002.
It came two years after reports Amanda had been having an affair with her co-star Neil Morrissey. Amid her fallout with Family Fortunes host Les, a rumour started that he had "found comfort" with legendary singer Diana Ross.
Now over two decades later, Amanda has settled the rumour once and for all. 'I hate to bring it up, but when I was going through a divorce, my friend Jane Wall, who is a mixed-race actress, was living in my house," she said on the Tea at Four podcast.
'We were helping her, she was living there basically so she could save up for a mortgage, and it [reports] said, my then-husband was being 'comforted by Diana Ross'. So that was hilarious.'
Jane, who was mistaken for Diana, is famed for playing Detective Inspector Di Worrell ITV soap The Bill. At the time of the rumour, Jane was still working on The Bill and never commented on the confusion between her and Diana, who has no known connection to Les.
However former Coronation Street Les star did speak out about the incident back in 2004 as he said the claim was 'particularly ridiculous'.
Amanda went on to find love with her husband Chris Hughes, who she has been married to since 2008. They welcomed two daughters together - Lexi and Hollie.
The TV star is the face of new Netflix show, Cheat: Unfinished Business, which sees her help eight ex-couples who have separated due to cheating.
Each pair has to reunite at a luxury retreat, where they will confront the cracks in their partnership, counselled by Married At First Sight UK's relationship expert Paul C. Brunson.
Despite her own infidelity, Amanda admitted she found it hard to not be judgmental about the couples on the new show. In a candid confession, she said on the One Show: "Oh my God it was very hard for me to sit on the fence.
"I would be the auntie and pop in and out. Try to be not judging, we all make mistakes, there are people who have made bad choices," she added.
Amanda even admitted she has felt the benefits of the show as it has made her own relationship even stronger. She said: 'I was in awe of Paul's advice because it's so brilliant and succinct. You can listen to it all day.'
Joking, she added: 'So I was really nice to Chris when he came out to filming." Amanda continued: "It (cheating) is a sensitive topic and I think it's a topic everyone can understand. It's about good people who have made bad choices.
"Some of those people haven't had the answer for 10 years. So, it was amazing to be part of that process and to witness the truth coming out.'
