Amanda Holden has been a staple on British television for more than 20 years now. It was after the comedy Kiss Me Kate, which ran from 1998-2000, that saw her first start to garner mainstream attention.
Other credits include the likes of Wild At Heart and Cutting It, but it was taking up the roles of judge in Britain's Got Talent in 2007 that saw the Portsmouth-born Holden become a household name.
With that fame has come plenty of scrutiny on her fashion choices, which are known to be stylish, colourful and full of glam.
“It’s my style mantra, I’m never knowingly understated,” she told the Mirror.
“It does make me laugh what the press write,” the presenter says, talking about her choice of clothes. “I’m always ‘flaunting’ or ‘parading’ when I’ve got a miniskirt on. I’m like, ‘I’m not flaunting. I’m walking.’ The language in the stories is so weird. You know, ‘As she struts, braless, with her blonde tresses blowing in the wind…’”
There is one matter she’d like to put straight for the record, though. “I’m not braless. The fact is, I’m wearing SKIMS [bras], but my nipples are always affected by the cold. There’s nothing I can do about it.
"It’s like the Princess And The Pea – 20 mattresses down and you still see my nipples. They show through anything. They’re like my compass. Point away, I’ll never get lost.”
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Speaking of her exotic outfits, you can expect to see plenty more of them over the coming weeks on Britain’s Got Talent. Amanda, 52, is now into her 16th year on the judging panel, and is having a blast alongside Simon Cowell, Alesha Dixon and newcomer Bruno Tonioli, who has replaced David Walliams.
The Little Britain comic left after being caught making off-camera comments about contestants, but Amanda mentions him warmly when asked about the new panel.
“We miss David, obviously,” she says. “But Bruno has added a new dynamic. It’s nice having a different pair of eyes. He’d never seen it before so he didn’t know what he was doing. He is just a ball of energy.”
She’s also delighted to be reunited with Alesha. “We’re just on the same page for most things,” she says. “And every now and then, we’ll say, ‘Let’s have a sneaky G&T in the break, we’ll be fine.’ It’s normally towards the end of the show when we know we’re going home soon. We can’t be too unprofessional.”
As well as sharing a taste for a crafty tipple, the pair have the realities of mum life in common. Both have two daughters and know all about the delicate balance of work and fame. “We FaceTime the kids at the [judges] desk when it’s tea time, we bond over our guilt at not being there. We worry about the same things – homework, exams. We’re just like any girlfriends,” she says.
And what about Mr Cowell? “I feel like Simon is back to his evil self, which is good because I’ve missed that,” she says.
“I don’t like it when he gives everyone a second chance. I’m like, ‘Who are you?’ I prefer the bad Simon.”
