Television personality Amanda Holden has spoken candidly about her regrets surrounding her first marriage to comedian Les Dennis during a heartfelt conversation with her close friend, Alan Carr.
Reflecting on Past Mistakes
The emotional exchange took place while filming the latest episode of their BBC One travel series, Amanda & Alan’s Greek Job. Holden admitted to having "made mistakes" in the past, specifically referencing the hurt and chaos caused by her divorce. She married Les Dennis in 1995, but the couple separated in 2002, finalising their divorce a year later in 2003.
The breakdown of their marriage followed the public revelation of her affair with co-star Neil Morrissey, which came to light two years prior. Despite the pain, the Britain's Got Talent judge framed these experiences as formative. "As much as I regret hurting people maybe, or causing chaos, it shapes you to who you are in this moment," she shared. "And I think life is too short to have regrets."
Alan Carr's Personal Struggles
The conversation turned equally introspective for Alan Carr, who is currently single following his own divorce from husband Paul Drayton in 2022. Carr reflected on his personal struggles, stating his regrets were less about specific decisions and more about not knowing his own worth. "The amount of times I’ve been walked over and people have demeaned me," he confessed.
Holden offered her support, calling him "soft" and "so lovely," to which Carr added he often wished he had been "bolder and a bit stronger." The pair also discussed the difficulty of trusting again after a marriage ends. Holden posed the question: "Do you sort of trust yourself to fall in love and make a good decision about somebody for the rest of your life?" Carr, admitting to trust issues, replied, "I don’t really trust anyone really, that’s the trouble."
Life After Divorce
Amanda Holden is now happily married to record producer Chris Hughes. The couple wed in 2008 and share two daughters: Lexi, born in 2006, and Hollie, born in 2012. Alan Carr was previously in a 14-year relationship with Paul Drayton. They married in 2018 in a ceremony officiated by singer Adele at her Los Angeles home, but the relationship suffered during lockdown, leading to their divorce four years later.
The intimate chat between the two presenters follows Holden's recent revelation about how she knew Carr had succeeded on BBC's The Celebrity Traitors. Noting that they usually speak every day, she became suspicious when he didn't call for two weeks during filming at Ardross Castle in the Scottish Highlands. Her hunch was correct, as Carr went on to win the series.
Holden expressed delight at her friend's renewed popularity, telling the Mirror: "He's been around for so long, but everyone's suddenly like, 'Oh, I love Alan Carr'... it's brought a whole new generation because of all the TikToks and the memes, which is lovely."
