Amanda Holden said she felt 'safe' when she married Strictly Come Dancing star Les Dennis in 1995, when she was 23 and he was 40.
The unlikely couple were together for eight years during which Amanda, now 52, credited the comedian with 'showing her the ropes' of the showbiz world. Reflecting on their relationship, she said: “I was very young and I had a lot to learn about life.” However, in 2000, it was revealed the Britain's Got Talent judge had cheated on Les with Men Behaving Badly star, Neil Morrissey.
Their affair sent shockwaves through the entertainment industry, as Amanda, who was just starting out as an actress after making her debut as a contestant on ITV's Blind Date, saying she 'brought it on herself.' However, the Heart FM presenter then suggested infidelity is caused by a 'problem in the marriage'.
Amanda Holden said she felt 'safe' when she married Les Dennis in 1995, when she was 23 and he was 40 (Getty Images)
The Britain's Got Talent judge had cheated on Les with Men Behaving Badly star, Neil Morrissey (Getty Images)Les, 69, said he was "damaged" by the betrayal, but Amanda told the Express: "I don't believe women have affairs for no reason. Women don't seek sex - we seek love and affirmation. If a woman has an affair, there is normally a problem in their marriage." The actress, who is now married to record producer, Chris Hughes, continued: "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. There are no hard feelings with Les. I wish him the best, but we've both moved on."
Ironically, Amanda said it was Les who helped her recover after their split, revealing: “Les proved to be my saviour. So the person I’d hurt the most in the world was the one who was there for me." She told Daily Mail: "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."
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Amanda got a lot of flack following the affair - and so did Neil. In 2013, the actress described the Bob the Builder star as "caring", claiming he received too much blame for their infidelity. Speaking to Good Housekeeping, she said: "Neil rightly or wrongly got loads of stick. I feel like it was my fault - I was the one who was married. I want to change the general perception of him, as he was very caring and very loving and very worried about me because I lost so much weight. He used to cook for me and look after me and babysit the dogs."
Neil later publicly apologised to Les for his part in the affair on Piers Morgan's Life Stories, admitting: "I feel sorry for how the situation was dealt with and I feel sorry for how emotional Les seemed to become. It was very difficult for him and for that I'm very sorry." However, when asked if he had ever apologised to Les directly, Neil admitted he hadn't, saying he wasn't entirely sure what there was to apologise about as he didn't know "the whole situation". He said: "I think enough was said about it. This was a very short fling. I didn't have representation at the time, in terms of PR and this was the first time I'd really come under the cosh."
As he gets ready to strut his stuff on Strictly on Saturday, Les, who has been married to wife, Claire Nicholson since 2009, hasn't made a comment about Neil, but did say he has no hard feelings towards his ex-wife. “We’re not in touch but I am happy that she’s happy,” he told The Sunday Times. “I can watch Britain’s Got Talent without getting angry. Some viewers who weren’t even married to a panellist can’t say that...To be honest it’s like watching a different person,” he continued. “Someone I’ve never met. All the hurt that has happened has been healed.”
However, in May this year, the comedian appeared to make a dig at the mum-of-two when she posted a snap of herself posing up a storm in Paris. Les was quick to post his own photo following Amanda's glamorous offering in which he stood looking somewhat dejected in a mirror in a dressing room with the caption: "Not in Paris. In Leicester."
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