Amanda Holden has made her feelings clear about the dress she wore when she married Les Dennis, more than two decades after their divorce. The Britain's Got Talent judge refuses to 'bin' the gown, preserving it as a cherished memento of a 'lovely day'.
A Sentimental Keepsake
During a discussion on the Heart Radio Breakfast Show, co-host Jason King asked Amanda what she had done with her wedding dresses. 'I've still got both,' she replied with a laugh. Explaining the fate of the gown from her first wedding, she added: 'The one when I married Les is in a proper wrapper, all done nicely, because it was a lovely day and I'm not going to bin that.'
Amanda, then 23, married Les, 17 years her senior, at St Andrew's Church in Bournemouth, Dorset, in 1995. She wore a traditional princess-style gown with a square neckline, corset bodice, veil, and tiara, complemented by an elegant beehive updo. The marriage lasted eight years, ending in 2003 amid difficulties following an affair.
Second Wedding and Beyond
Five years after her divorce, Amanda married her current husband, Chris Hughes, in Somerset. For that ceremony, she chose a champagne-coloured Elie Saab gown featuring a lace overlay, sequin detailing, and a low back, paired with an elegant bun and veil. The couple share two daughters, Lexi and Hollie.
Amanda revealed that this dress is also carefully stored, though she has worn it twice publicly since: once for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding and again during lockdown. 'In lockdown, when I was looking for fun things to do on my new TikTok account, I put my beautiful wedding dress on that I married Chris in and mowed the lawn,' she said. 'I didn't get any grass stains on it - it still fitted me.'
Reflections on Marriage
Amanda has often spoken warmly about her 'ever-evolving' marriage to Chris, crediting humour and lasting attraction for their strong relationship. While promoting her show Cheat: Unfinished Business with Paul C Brunson last year, she told Hello! magazine: 'When my husband came out to visit during filming, I felt grateful to be in a lovely, secure relationship. We have ups and downs like everyone else, but when I was looking at the pain and suffering some of the people we were working with were going through, I felt so grateful to have somebody in my life with no complications.'
She added that their marriage still feels 'so fresh', saying: 'Twenty-two years does feel like a long time, but it still feels new to me. I think that's because it's ever-evolving.'
