03 October 2023 , 11:56
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There is one striking moment when Les Dennis knew his marriage to Amanda Holden was over. The 69-year-old comedian and actor married the Britain’s Got Talent judge in 1995 - when Amanda was just 22 and he was 40. But their relationship wasn’t to last following Amanda’s affair with Men Behaving Badly actor Neil Morrissey and the pair split shortly after, in 2002.
While The Family Fortunes Host has since said he has , looking back, he can still pinpoint the exact moment he knew their relationship was no more. In his memoir Must The Show Go On? By Les Dennis, the star attributes his final exit from the Celebrity Big Brother as the final nail in the coffin for their marriage.
Les Dennis and Amanda Holden back in 2001 (Getty Images)
Les Dennis and Amanda Holden in 2000 (Alan Davidson/REX/Shutterstock)Writing in his book, Les explained that his stint on CBB came after a dry spell of projects and needed something to raise his profile - admitted in part, he couldn’t help but “feel competitive” towards Amanda and needed to reinvent himself. By the time CBB started, Les said their “marriage had limped on” for the two and a half years since the affair.
He wrote: “We both, I think, knew that it would end eventually, but were loath to unleash the media frenzy that decision would inevitably cause. They were always watching for the cracks to appear.” Just moments before the show began, in a room for one last meeting with friends and family, the cracks were clear.
Neil Morrisey as Will Green and Amanda Holden as Alice (BBC)“In that room, filled with family and friends, Amanda did her best to put on a brave face,” he wrote. “Her attempts at making light of the situation failed to put me at my ease. ‘Don’t worry darling,’ she announced to the room. ‘I’ll definitely have your voting number on redial to keep you in. I’ll enjoy a bit of freedom.’”
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Amid the nervous laughter, Les said Amanda had continued, saying: ‘And you know that I won’t be able to get away from filming to greet you as you come out. The Beeb have got me on an extremely tight schedule. Not even sure I’ll be able to watch a lot of the show. Be thinking about you, though, darling.’”
Les Dennis and Amanda Holden on their wedding day (South Coast Press/REX/Shutterstock)When Les’s agent tried to diffuse the awkwardness suggesting that there was a strong rumour Endemol were putting an extra secret housemate in at the last minute, Les wrote that Amanda joked ‘Wouldn’t it be amazing if it was Neil. You two in the house. That would be fascinating.’
Les added: “All of my guests looked like the movie audience from the scene in The Producers as the first chorus of Springtime for Hitler echoed through the theatre. Jaws had to be picked up as I quickly said my goodbyes.” While Les later admitted he had an “emotional crisis” live on CBB, the moment that he knew his relationship was over came at the very end of his time on the show when he left the house - when Davina said Amanda had taped a message for him.
“My heart filled with dread - she couldn’t even be bothered to do it live.” Les wrote. “Suddenly she was on screen, not alone but with two of her Cutting It co-stars. That was my defining moment. “As viewers watched me watch her jabber on about my amazing honesty, the words ‘I love you and I’m proud of you’ never crossing her lips, I came to the final decision that this charade of a marriage was over.”
The Coronation Street actor is now focused on Strictly Come Dancing with his partner, pro dancer, Nancy Xu, with hopes of holding up the Glitterball trophy.