Amanda Holden

Amanda Louise Holden (born 16 February 1971) is an English actress who was well known for her roles as Sarah Trevanion on Wild at Heart. She is also notable for being a judge on Britain's Got Talent.

She is best known for her role as the main character, Geraldine Titley in the British TV comedy The Grimleys. She is also known for starring in Wild at Heart, Kiss Me Kate and Hearts and Bones.

She made her television debut as an unsuccessful contestant on the long-running ITV series Blind Date. Her first television role was in a drama with Edward Woodward. She also appeared in BBC soap opera EastEnders in 1994, but she is more well-known for playing Mia Bevan in the BAFTA Award-nominated drama series Cutting It from 2002-4.

She has been a judge on the ITV show Britain's Got Talent for the first two series, alongside Simon Cowell and Piers Morgan. It has been confirmed that she will return with Morgan and Cowell for series 3 in 2009.

Amanda Holden has appeared in several stage musicals and in 2004 was nominated for a Laurence Olivier Theatre Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her performance in the West End production of Thoroughly Modern Millie.

Her most recent TV appearance was in the ITV1 drama Wild at Heart, alongside Stephen Tompkinson. The first series aired in 2006 and a second series followed in early 2007. Series 3 ran from January 20 to March 9, 2008.

Amanda's other TV credits include three series of the hit comedy Kiss Me Kate alongside Caroline Quentin, three series of the ITV comedy series The Grimleys, Celeb with Harry Enfield, the critically acclaimed BBC series Hearts and Bones alongside Damien Lewis and a Boxing Day special Marple alongside Geraldine McEwan and John Hannah. She also co-starred with Bill Nighy and Sir Tom Courtenay in Ready When You Are, Mr McGill, Jack Rosenthal's classic comedy drama.

Holden married the comedian Les Dennis in 1995, though they separated in December 2002 and were divorced in 2003. She had an affair with Neil Morrissey in 2000 which contributed to the breakup of her marriage to Dennis. On January 20, 2006, Holden gave birth to her first child, Alexa "Lexi" Louise Florence Hughes. Amanda married Chris Hughes in December 2008 with former Formula 1 racing driver David Coulthard acting as the best man.

Amanda is an Everton FC supporter, expressing her dismay in May 2007 on ITV's Parkinson to Everton's 4-2 loss to Manchester United after leading 2-0. She was the face of Everton's "Breast Cancer Campaign" in 2007.

Holden ran the London Marathon in 4 hours and 13 minutes on April 13, 2008, in name of the Born Free Foundation, having collected public and celebrity sponsors online.