PROVING SHE IS ALL HEART AS SHE MAKES WAVES ON THE RADIO
ON RISQUE OUTFITS, HANGING OUT WITH SIMON COWELL AND
WHY HER HUSBAND HAS A TALENT FOR MAKING HER LAUGH
AMANDA HOLDEN
S
he recently wrappedupanotherstellarseriesof
Britain’s GotTalenttina thrillingfinaloftheSimon
CowellshowthatwonITVitsbiggestaudienceofthe
yeartodate.Andjusta fewhourslater,Amanda Holden
wasbackinthe news asshe co-hostedher firstHeart
breakfastradioshowalongsideJamieTheakston.
Butit wasn’t justherquickchangeofrole that made
headlines,it waspublic reactiontoherrisquéoutfit
the nightbefore.The revealingspider-webdressshe
woreforthelivefinalsparkedcomplaintstomedia
watchdogOfcom,butthe 48-year-oldtells usshe
andshowsupremoSimonCowellaretaking
“Gowngate”intheirstride.
Laughingoffthe criticismatourexclusive
shootandinterview,Amandasays sheand
GoodMorningBritainpresenter Piers
Morgancompeteoverwho
canprovoke
the mostdisapproval.“LastyearIhada recordnumber
ofcomplaints,butPierspippedmetothepost,”she
laughs.“NowI ambeingscrutinisedover16cm
offlesh,whereasheseemstogetawaywithbeing
outrageousallthe time.
“Simonhasthis viewthataslongaseveryoneis
talkingaboutthe show,it’s goodforratings.Evenso,
wehadbarely anycomplaintsthis year– it’s gutting.”
Thepresenterandactressinsiststhatwhile she
enjoysvampingupthe glamourin frontof the cameras,
it’s adifferentstorybehindthe scenes.
“Dressingupis funandfeelslikegettingreadyfor
the Oscars,butI’mahighstreetgirlatheart,”she says.
“Idon’t seekoutdresseswithplungingnecklines– and
wouldneverwearmyBGTTgownsanywhereelse.”
MORNINGDRESS
Daringdécolletageandsparklysequinsmaynotbe
typicalwearforradioDJs,yetthenewHearthostinsists
shewon’tbepresentingtheshowinsweatpants.
“There’snowayI’dstepoutinmypyjamasorrock
upwithoutalash. Topreservemyownsenseofdignity,
I alwaystrytolookgood,”she says.
“MynanEthelusedtotellme:‘Neverletyour
husbandseeyouwithoutlipstick,’”sheadds,adopting
theCornishliltofhergrandmother,whodiedlastyear
at theageof97.“I’mverymindfulofhowI look
whenI goout– whichis justaswellasI get
photographedeveryday.”
Amanda’sfirstweekat Heart
saw Hollywood stars Michael
Fassbenderand James
McAvoyjoinherinthe
Amanda is delighted to be reunited with old friend Jamie Theakston to present the breakfast show on
Heart radio (above). “He’s just like a lovely labrador,” Amanda says of her former co-star in 2004 sitcom
Mad About Alice. “He’s so affable, easy-going and makes me laugh – although I keep interrupting him”
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