Amanda Holden has opened up about a painful personal experience, revealing how she was left heartbroken after an ex-boyfriend fell for one of her close friends. The 54-year-old television and radio personality, who has been married to music producer Chris Hughes for 23 years, made the candid confession during her Heart Radio Breakfast Show on Wednesday.
Matchmaking Mistake
During a discussion about relationships, Amanda's co-host Ashley Roberts asked if she had ever discovered a friend romantically involved with a former boyfriend. Amanda responded with a surprising admission about her own matchmaking gone wrong.
'I had an ex that I was keen on, and I fixed him up with one of my friends, which absolutely killed me. I don't know why I did that,' Amanda revealed during the broadcast.
Although she didn't name the ex-boyfriend involved, she explained how years ago she decided to set him up with a friend, only to quickly regret her decision. 'Sort of. Even though I had moved on and was seeing somebody else, I thought they would work together,' she said when asked if playing cupid had left her heartbroken.
Painful Realization
'But then when I saw them together, I was like, "What are you doing?"' Amanda added, describing the emotional impact of witnessing the relationship develop.
The Britain's Got Talent judge has previously been married to television star Les Dennis from 1995 to 2002, with their divorce following her affair with actor Neil Morrissey. She later found lasting love with Chris Hughes, marrying him in 2008 and raising two daughters together.
Reflections on Past Relationships
During a recent episode of her BBC property show Amanda & Alan's Greek Job, Amanda discussed her regrets about past relationships during an emotional conversation with best friend Alan Carr. The two reflected on their respective divorces and personal growth.
'Obviously we've both been through a divorce. We've both made mistakes and as much as I regret hurting people maybe, or causing chaos, it shapes you to who you are in this moment,' Amanda told Alan, who divorced Paul Drayton in 2022.
She continued with a philosophical perspective: 'I think life is too short to have regrets.'
Trust and Moving Forward
The conversation turned to trust and relationships after divorce, with Amanda asking Alan about finding love again. 'After a divorce, what you do think is that you are never gonna find love again. Do you sort of trust yourself to fall in love and make a good decision about somebody for the rest of your life?' she questioned.
Alan, who won Celebrity Traitors, responded thoughtfully: 'Yeah, it'd be nice wouldn't it? I don't really trust anyone really, that's the trouble. I think that is my main thing.'
Previous Revelations
Amanda has previously described the fallout from her affair with Neil Morrissey as 'the darkest time of her life.' In an interview with Daily Mail, she explained: 'I brought it on myself, I appreciate that, but nothing will ever be as bad again. It was a very dark time. It got to the point where I felt I could hardly breathe.'
Remarkably, she credited Les Dennis with helping her through that difficult period: 'Les proved to be my saviour. Ironically. So the person I'd hurt the most in the world was the one who was there for me.'
Brutal Honesty
In a resurfaced interview, Amanda offered candid insights about her first marriage: 'I terribly want children but I didn't want to have them with Les. That's a horribly brutal thing to say, but when you do, you know you have to move on.'
She reflected on the public perception following her affair: 'I found the fall from grace incredibly hard to deal with. I can't bear not to be liked. Then I had an affair and overnight turned into this awful person.'
Despite the past difficulties, Amanda emphasized there are 'no hard feelings with Les' and expressed well-wishes for her former husband. She concluded with perspective on relationships: 'I don't believe women have affairs for no reason. Women don't seek sex – we seek love and affirmation.'
Heart Breakfast with Jamie and Amanda continues to air weekdays from 6.30am, featuring personal conversations alongside entertainment news and music.
