ITV’s Britain’s Got Talent judge Amanda Holden has been married to businessman Chris Hughes since 2008 – and things can get very busy for the star when her family are all at home
Amanda Holden has opened up about one of her greatest problems being a mother and wife to her loving family. The 54-year-old Britain’s Got Talent judge shares daughters Lexi, 19, and Hollie, 13, with her husband Chris Hughes.
The star recently saw her eldest child leave the nest to attend university – but she has been back recently amid a break in the semesters. And while Amanda says she loves to take care of her family and make them dinner each night, the range of culinary requirements can leave her working up a sweat in the kitchen.
The TV judge – who has appeared on ITV’s Britain’s Got Talent since the long-running reality contest began in 2007 – lives in a luxury mansion with her family in Surrey. The property is believed to be valued at £7 million – and the star has proudly shown off the rooms on social media.
But it appears the kitchen may be the room she spends the most time in when all her family are at home – as she ends up having to cook for each of them individually. Opening up to Hello! magazine, Amanda explained: “I try to cook a family meal every night.
“It’s been great recently, because Lexi’s been home from university, so we’ve been back to a family of four. And I’m obviously a vegetarian. Lexi’s practically vegan. Chris and Holly eat meat, so I cook, but I have to make like four different meals.”
She went on to admit she not been the best at teaching her daughters how to cook for themselves. She revealed: “They’re [Hollie and Lexi] getting into the swing of cooking.
“I’ve been a bit rubbish at teaching them how to cook, because I’ve always cooked, but they’re good preppers, and they tidy up after me.”
With conversation continuing to focus on food, Amanda revealed what her last meal would be. She said: “I would have pasta pesto as my main dinner. I absolutely love a homemade pesto, really nice and wet and cheesy and pine-y and basil-ly.”
She added: “For pudding, I would probably have either an Eton mess or a banana split, and as a starter, it would probably be like loads of tomatoes with salt and some burrata.”
While Amanda is best known for being a judge on BGT alongside Simon Cowell, Alesha Dixon and Bruno Tonioli, she has attracted additional fans in recent years by teaming up with comedian Alan Carr for a series of property renovation shows.
The pair became friends after meeting on his Channel 4 show Alan Carr Chatty Man in 2009 and they grew such a close bond they questioned if they could be unknowingly related. They were subsequently featured on the ITV show DNA Journey to discover if they had a genetic connection – only to be told they were not.
Discussing the result on her Heart Breakfast radio show, Amanda said previously: “There’s no connection between us except that we love each other but all the way through I was hoping… All the way through I was hoping I was related to Alan Carr… but we’re not.”
Alan was a guest on the show and joked: “I was dreading being related to Amanda, because I’ve seen Ant and Dec were and I was like, ‘Oh no no no.’
“But then we would see our relatives of course and I’d be surprised, literally go behind that door and there is your relative. So we’d go there and Amanda, they didn’t know who they were related to out of me and Amanda and I’m not being rude…They hoped it was me!”
