Amanda Holden's first marriage to comedian Les Dennis ended after a secret affair, which she later described as the 'worst time of her life'. The couple married in June 1995 when Amanda was 22 and Les was 40, having met while performing in The Sound of Music in 1993. They split after five years, with Amanda's unfaithfulness with actor Neil Morrissey ultimately ending the relationship.
Amanda had an affair with Morrissey while starring in BBC's Happy Birthday Shakespeare in 2000. The couple spent time apart trying to save the marriage but filed for divorce in 2003, by which point both were in new relationships. Amanda later admitted she was 'very broody' but did not want to have children with Les, saying, 'That's a horribly brutal thing to say, but when you do, you know you have to move on.'
Les Dennis has since forgiven Amanda, but he recalled the moment he knew the marriage was over during his appearance on Celebrity Big Brother in 2002. In his memoir, he wrote that when Davina McCall played a pre-recorded message from Amanda with her Cutting It co-stars, he realised the 'charade of a marriage was over'. Neil Morrissey apologised to Les in 2014 on Piers Morgan's Life Stories, saying he was sorry for how the situation was dealt with.
Amanda Holden has been with record producer Chris Hughes since 2003; they married in 2010 and have two daughters, Lexie and Hollie. The couple suffered the stillbirth of their son Theo in 2010. Les Dennis married Claire Nicholson in 2009 and they have two children together.
