After more than two decades of silence, Les Dennis has finally spoken openly about the heartbreak that ended his marriage to Amanda Holden — and the moment her words left him reeling.
In a revealing interview, the former Family Fortunes presenter recalled Amanda’s blunt confession: “No woman cheats without a reason. I want children… but not with you.” Les admitted the impact was immediate and overwhelming. “I nearly fainted,” he said. “You think you’re prepared for heartbreak, but hearing that from someone you love is something else entirely.”
Their story began as a media fairy tale. Les, then a household name in British entertainment, met the rising actress 17 years his junior during a production of The Sound of Music. In 1995, when they married, tabloids celebrated them as an unlikely but glamorous pairing — comedy’s dependable star and television’s bright newcomer.
Despite the age gap and scrutiny, Les believed their connection would endure. “She was beautiful, energetic, and I felt fortunate,” he said. “People warned me, but I thought love could beat the odds.”
But the pressures of fame, age, and diverging careers slowly eroded their foundation. By 2000, the cracks were too large to ignore.
The Mirror would soon expose Amanda’s affair with actor Neil Morrissey, triggering a national scandal. Amanda later acknowledged it was a mistake, but insisted it was driven by deeper emotional needs: “Women don’t have affairs without a reason,” she said.
00:00
00:06
01:31
Powered by
GliaStudios
The revelation was devastating, yet Les initially attempted reconciliation. They even appeared publicly on Richard & Judy to say they were “working through it.” In private, however, the damage had already been done.
Looking back, Les recognises the signs were there. He recounted an innocuous but symbolic moment when a plumber assumed Amanda was his daughter rather than his wife. “Maybe that was telling,” he said.
As the media frenzy escalated, even bizarre rumours filled the tabloids — including claims Les found comfort with Diana Ross. Amanda later clarified the rumour originated from mistaken identity, laughing about how absurd it was. Les dismissed it entirely: “One of the most ridiculous things I’ve read.”
Amanda eventually acknowledged the painful truth of why she wanted to end the marriage, admitting she could not envision having children with Les despite caring for him. She also described how the affair fallout led to intense public backlash that she struggled to handle.
Both have since rebuilt their lives. Les married Claire Nicholson in 2009 and has two children, Eleanor and Thomas. Amanda married record producer Chris Hughes in 2008 and is now a well-known television personality with two daughters, Lexi and Hollie.
In recent years, Les has spoken with grace about the past, noting that Amanda has expressed kind words about him and that time has softened the hurt. “We’ve both moved on,” he said. “There’s no bitterness. Some things you never forget, but forgiveness is possible.”
Their relationship — once a showbiz fairytale, later a tabloid tragedy — remains a striking chapter in British celebrity history: passion, betrayal, humiliation, and ultimately, redemption.
Source: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/
