The Britain’s Got Talent judge opened up in her autobiography about feeling Les Dennis needed ‘mothering’ when they first met, before their marriage ended in divorce following her affair with Neil Morrissey
Les Dennis and actress Amanda Holden (Image: Dave Hogan, Getty Images)
Reflecting on the early days of their relationship, Amanda Holden revealed that when she first encountered ex-husband Les Dennis, she felt he required some “mothering.” In her autobiography No Holding Back, the Britain’s Got Talent judge elaborated on their differing personalities.
She confessed: “At first he thought I was loud, overconfident and a bit brash, which was probably true,” and added: “I thought he was a bit of a miserable sod.”
Despite this, Amanda harboured caring feelings towards the comedian, who was 16 years her senior. She penned: “He seemed sad, quiet and troubled and I instinctively wanted to help.” Their paths first intersected backstage at Bournemouth’s Pavilion Theatre during a production of The Sound of Music.
Through socialising with other cast members, including frequent visits to bowling alleys on their days off, Amanda and the Garston-born Les began talking more regularly.
Les opened up to his younger co-star about the dissolution of his first marriage to Lynne – whom he had wed just three years after Amanda was born – expressing remorse over his sporadic contact with his son Philip, according to the Mirror.
Les Dennis and Amanda Holden(Image: Dave Benett, Getty Images)
Amanda reflected that she and Les were platonic friends for a while. She stated: “I don’t think I consciously fancied him at this stage.” However, by 1995, a couple of years after their initial encounter, they exchanged vows and embarked on a new chapter together, reports the Liverpool Echo.
The marriage, however, was not destined to endure. The pair separated five years later following the emergence of Amanda’s affair with Neil Morrissey, her co-star in Happy Birthday Shakespeare.
In 2002, Les chose to address public fascination with the split head-on by participating in the second series of Celebrity Big Brother.
Les Dennis and Amanda Holden(Image: Rune Hellestad – Corbis, Corbis via Getty Images)
He would later describe this decision as “not one of his wisest moves.” After the affair became public, Amanda told the Daily Mail that the relentless media attention surrounding her marriage breakdown represented the “worst time of her life.”
She said: “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.” The mother-of-two confessed she “hated” herself for deceiving Les, but despite their efforts, the relationship could not be repaired and they ultimately divorced in 2003.
Les Dennis is set to appear on Sunday Brunch on Channel 4 on Sunday, March 29, while Amanda Holden will return to her judging role on Britain’s Got Talent on ITV on Saturday, March 28.
