Amanda Holden has opened up about her family life with husband Chris Hughes, revealing she would have liked to have more children. The 55-year-old star, who has been married to her second husband since 2008, said she would have had 'loads' if they had met earlier.
A wish for a bigger family
Speaking on Heart Breakfast during a chat with Jamie Theakston and Ashley Roberts, Holden said: "Oh I would've had loads if I had met Chris earlier, I would've had loads." She added: "I would've gone for four I think, but yeah I'm going to say we had three, we ended up with two if you know what I mean."
The couple welcomed their first daughter, Lexi, now 20, two years before their wedding. They sadly lost their second child, Theo, in 2011 when he was stillborn, before welcoming their second daughter, Hollie, the following year.
A plea for another puppy
Holden, who hosts BBC quiz show The Inner Circle and the celebrity version, also shared her hope to expand their furry family. She said: "[We've got] lots of furry babies, I'm going to have to talk to Chris because I really want to rescue another puppy and if he's listening and it goes out on air, it'll be very difficult for him to turn me down."
In an attempt to persuade him further, she added: "Darling, I love you."
Life with four cats and three dogs
An ambassador for Battersea Dogs & Cats, Holden has since added another furry friend to their home, bringing their total up to four cats and three dogs. Her latest addition is Dolly, a rescue Tibetan Terrier who, she admitted, had been causing chaos in the home. Last year, she also brought home a cat named Bolt, after falling for him during a holiday in Greece.
But having pets doesn't come without its issues. Speaking on Heart, she revealed that an altercation between her cats resulted in her getting injured. She narrated: "Oh my gosh, well, I've been attacked by my own cat, not my rescue [cat], who is very sweet and is trying to be subservient with our Princess who is 15, [but] she is absolutely not having it."
She added: "And yesterday they came across each other, we've been keeping them very separate. And I put my hand in, because they started fighting, and I had to try and separate them. I've never seen anything like it and my own cat got hold of my wrist with her teeth, and I literally lifted my arm in the air and she was still on it."
After experiencing symptoms following the incident, Holden informed listeners that she had been prescribed medication by a doctor. Towards the end of the show, she added: "I've just had a text from my husband saying I've really milked my cat bite this morning. He didn't even realise that he's done a little bit of a pun there. I haven't milked it, it's serious!"
The Celebrity Inner Circle airs tonight at 5:30 PM on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
