Amanda Louise Holden (born 16 February 1971) is an English actress.
Her father, Frank Vallely Holden, was a Petty officer in the Merchant Navy, from Liverpool. Her mother, Judith Mary Harrison, was a secretary from Gloucestershire. Her father left her mother when Amanda was four. Her mother married Leslie, whom Holden regards as her real father, shortly afterwards Her parents bought a guesthouse in Alum Chine in Bournemouth. Holden went to school at Swanmore Secondary School in Hampshire for five years. She then studied Drama at the Jellicoe Theatre, now part of Bournemouth and Poole College. She gained two A levels, and went to the Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts in Wood Green.
She is best known for her role as the main character, Geraldine Titley in the British TV comedy The Grimleys. She is also known for starring in Wild at Heart, Kiss Me Kate and Hearts and Bones.
She made her television debut as an unsuccessful contestant on the long-running ITV series Blind Date. Her first television role was in a TV drama with Edward Woodward. She also appeared in BBC soap opera EastEnders in 1994, but she is perhaps best known for playing Mia Bevan in the BAFTA Award-nominated drama series Cutting It from 2002-4.
She has been a judge on the ITV show Britain's Got Talent for the first two series, alongside Simon Cowell and Piers Morgan. It has been confirmed that she will return with Morgan and Cowell for series 3 in 2009.
Amanda Holden has appeared in several stage musicals and in 2004 was nominated for a Laurence Olivier Theatre Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her performance in the West End production of Thoroughly Modern Millie. On November 19, 2004 she appeared on the BBC's Children in Need charity appeal singing Carol King's "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman". On that night also, she announced her engagement to record boss Chris Hughes.
Her most recent TV appearance was in the ITV1 drama Wild at Heart, alongside Stephen Tompkinson. The first series aired in 2006 and a second series followed in early 2007. Series 3 ran from 20th January 2008 to 9th March 2008 and her character, Sarah, died at the beginning of the final episode.
Amanda's other TV credits include three series of the hit comedy Kiss Me Kate alongside Caroline Quentin, three series of the ITV comedy series The Grimleys, Celeb with Harry Enfield, the critically acclaimed BBC series Hearts and Bones alongside Damien Lewis, the comedy series Mad About Alice with Jamie Theakston, and a Boxing Day special Marple alongside Geraldine McEwan and John Hannah. She also co-starred with Bill Nighy and Sir Tom Courtenay in Ready When You Are, Mr McGill, Jack Rosenthal's classic comedy drama.
Amanda met the television presenter Les Dennis (real name Leslie Heseltine) in 1993 when both were performing in neighbouring theatres, and they married in June 1995 in Bournemouth when she was 24 and he was 40. They separated following her affair with actor Neil Morrissey. These events made her a popular target for the British tabloid press. The couple were divorced on November 18, 2003. Holden's affair was later parodied in the TV series Extras.
On 21 January 2006, Holden gave birth to her first child, Alexa "Lexi" Louise Florence Hughes. She got engaged to record producer Chris Hughes (born 1954, a.k.a Merrick, ex-drummer of Adam and the Ants) in November 2004 and will be marrying him in December 2008. She lives in Richmond. Her Welsh grandfather died of C Diff in June 2007, in a hospital ward which Holden said was "dirty".
She is an Everton FC supporter, expressing her dismay in April 2007 on Parkinson to Everton's 4-2 loss to Manchester United after leading 2-0.
Holden ran the London Marathon on the 13th April 2008 in name of the Born Free Foundation, and she set up a web page in which she asked members of the public and celebrity friends to sponsor her.
