Move over, twenty-somethings… The real heat is happening after 50, as Amanda Holden is taking the lead in TV sex symbols.
This comes after Netflix’s “the Violet effect” has been sweeping the nation, seeing fans over 50 find themselves again in sexually in midlife after being inspired by matriarch Violet Bridgerton – and according to experts, Amanda Holden is TV’s real-life inspiration.
Amanda, 55 and unapologetic, has become a poster girl for confidence. From daring red carpet looks to candid social snaps, she’s rewriting the narrative around ageing. One relationship expert, Jaime Bronstein, LSCW, resident therapist at Joi AI, exclusively told us: “We have looked at Violet Bridgerton before as the fictional basis for ‘Silver Renaissance’. I imagine Amanda Holden to be the real-life counterpart. She alters the public perception of mature women through her actions, embracing her ‘boss era’, which she supports by breaking traditional ‘age-appropriate’ fashion rules.”
Amanda inspires fans over 50(Image: Getty Images)
“Amanda shows the beauty of dating and living at this stage, who used to please others, now focusing on their own happiness. She demonstrates that a person can maintain physical fitness, be a mom, be blindly attractive and achieve their best professional performance.”
The new survey by AI-lationships platform Joi AI found nearly 60% of mature adults say their sexual desire is the same or stronger than in their younger years. One in five admit they’re now more experimental in the bedroom. Some 58% still find people their own age sexually attractive. And 20% even have a bucket list of fantasies they still want to fulfil.
Bridgerton is back with a bang(Image: NETFLIX)
Online searches show it’s not just talk. Google Trends reveals queries for “dating after 50” and “libido after 50” have jumped 294% and 451% year-on-year.
“This is not necessarily an increase in libido,” says Jaime Bronstein, LSCW, resident therapist at Joi AI. “It feels like middle-aged women are in their prime because their perception of intimacy changes and the goal is not to prove oneself to anyone, but to enjoy.”
Bronstein adds that reclaiming sexuality later in life is about reflection and empowerment. “It’s very empowering to know that you’ve still ‘got it,’” she says.
“There’s no sense in comparing yourself now to 10 years ago. You change every day, your body, your desires, your priorities and dreams, you are losing nothing, just developing into your new, mature self. Remember that intimacy is about love, connection, and pleasure, when you realise it, things will change for the better.”
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