Television personality Amanda Holden was left utterly astonished during a special segment on BBC's The One Show, where she came face-to-face with a criminal who had been brazenly impersonating her.
The Elaborate Scam Uncovered
In a preview of Monday's special episode of Scam Interceptors, viewers witnessed the moment the 54-year-old Britain's Got Talent judge discovered her identity was being systematically exploited by fraudsters. The programme's producer, Mark, had contacted criminals who were using Holden's name and likeness to deceive fans into registering for bogus investments, potentially causing victims to lose thousands of pounds.
The shocking revelation began when producers showed Amanda a deepfake video of herself created by the scammers, which featured an American accent. Holden immediately reacted with disbelief, exclaiming "That is so bad!" and describing the situation as "bizarre", noting that genuine fans would recognise she's British and questioning how anyone could fall for such an obvious fake.
The Confrontation Call
The Scam Interceptors team had traced what they termed a "scamanda" operation and arranged a telephone confrontation. After the fake Amanda provided a contact number allegedly for their manager, the team - joined by the real Amanda Holden - initiated a call with the scammer.
Posing as a bank employee, Holden joined the conversation and enquired how much money the "scamanda's manager" required. The fraudster boldly claimed they wanted a £3,000 payment immediately and £10,000 in total.
In a dramatic mic-drop moment, Amanda then delivered the bombshell revelation to the scammer that she wasn't actually a bank employee but was in fact the real Amanda Holden. The television star declared: "Can I let you know my name, sir, so you know who you're dealing with... My name is Amanda Holden, I live in the UK, I know everything about you..." before the call was abruptly ended.
Aftermath and Continued Drama
A stunned Holden exclaimed "Oh my God!" following the sudden disconnection, but the drama didn't end there. Incredibly, the fraudster later accused the group of using AI to impersonate the real Amanda Holden.
Not content to let the matter rest, Holden sent a voice message to the scammer stating: "This is Amanda Holden. You've been using my name as part of a whole scamming investment fund. I know where you live, I know everything about you, we work for a programme called Scam Interceptors on BBC. Google it!"
The segment aired on Thursday night's episode of The One Show, which continues on weeknights at 7pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
