Amanda Holden was hilariously cut off by her Heart Radio Breakfast co-star Jamie Theakston live on air this week as she began sharing a "secret". The presenter had introduced a competition for listeners, offering them the chance to win a luxury trip with their pets.
This prompted Amanda to turn to her co-star and ask him about "the most special moment" he had shared with his pets. "Because they all sleep on the beds, you have loads of cats..." the Celebrity Inner Circle host began, before discussing the pets in her own household. The 55-year-old has four cats and three dogs and is keen to adopt more, though she has joked that she could face divorce if she does.
Husband's secret cuddles
However, she insists her husband, Chris Hughes, really does love their bustling household of furry friends, telling Jamie: "My husband has secret cuddles with some of our pets. He favours some of them. He goes off and has secret cuddles," she echoed, before Jamie jumped in to shut down the topic, seemingly a little irked. "Okay, maybe now is a good time to wrap that up," he said, swiftly moving on, as Amanda laughed.
The presenter's latest addition to her home is a rescue Tibetan Terrier called Dolly, who she has said has been causing chaos by stealing items. Speaking on Heart last month, she shared: "I'm going to say she is very special, she's not the brightest, she's the sweetest, she's a rescue, we don't know where she comes from but she's definitely still learning, just basics like going down the stairs and not bumping into windows and getting right under my legs while cooking, things like that."
Divorce threats over pets
Explaining why she could not adopt any more animals, she joked: "Let's just say my husband stayed in town last night, he didn't stay with me, he is overwhelmed. And he has threatened a divorce in the past if I rescue anymore creatures." She added, laughing: "Although I would happily adopt more cats but I'd lose my husband over it and I still love him quite a lot so I don't want to lose him."
The presenter has previously said that having animals in the home "fills a hole" after her daughter Lexi moved out to attend university. Alongside her studies, her eldest daughter embarked on a modelling career in 2022 after signing to Storm Management, the agency which launched the careers of the likes of Kate Moss and Cindy Crawford.
Thoughts on 'nepo-baby' label
Being the child of a famous parent with a successful career often comes with a nepo-baby label, a term used to describe the children of celebrities who have gained entry into notoriously difficult industries due to their family connections. Sharing her thoughts on the label, Amanda told The Daily Mail: "Seeing someone's kid is not going to secure work, make a living for you and longevity in whatever career. It may get a foot in the door, but then you're on your own, so I think it's unfair to sort of single out showbusiness or the music industry, because they're the worst businesses to be in!"
Amanda went on to point out that everyone uses connections to their advantage when needed in a career, noting that many of her colleagues at Global Radio Studios have done the same thing. "At Global, this is the week where the kids come in to make the tea and coffee and see how it all works. Everyone has such tenuous connections and it's brilliant, we welcome them with open arms," she shared, adding that her daughter Hollie would do the same next year. "If I can help anyone, I'll do it. It's not just my own kids, it's my friends' kids," she continued.
