Amanda Holden exposed 'grim' Les Dennis habit during marriage he knew was over after plumber's comment
Amanda Holden has opened up about her ex-husband Les Dennis by revealing one of his unexpected ‘icks’.
The Britain’s Got Talent judge, 55, was on air with Heart Breakfast co-host Jamie Theakston when a listener revealed her husband saved fingernail clippings to use as toothpicks.
Before reading the listener’s admission, Amanda said: “I mean, I can relate to this, my first husband did the same thing, not my current one, who is perfect obviously.”
Jamie insinuated whether the habit was why Les became her ex-husband, prompting laughter from Amanda, who suggested the comedian had not appreciated her mentioning it previously.
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“That is wrong on so many levels! I mean maybe that's from my first husband's third wife, [it] could be from her, she could've texted in this morning. But anyway, that is an ick,” she said.
Les, 72, had already confessed to the unusual practice during a 2021 appearance on Would I Lie To You?, explaining that he kept particularly useful nail clippings because ordinary toothpicks struggled to reach between his teeth.
“I like to keep my old fingernail clippings so I can use them later on. If I get a really good one that's got a nice hook in it, then I will save it for later,” he admitted at the time.
The pair first met during a production of The Sound of Music at Bournemouth's Pavilion Theatre in 1993. They tied the knot in Dorset two years on when she was 24 and he was 42.
Their relationship broke down when a temporary separation revealed that Amanda had a five-week affair with Men Behaving Badly actor Neil Morrissey, 63.
Although they tried to work things out, the pair officially divorced in 2003, with Amanda calling it the ‘worst time of her life’.
The TV presenter, who famously hosted Family Fortunes for 15 years, said he should’ve known it was doomed from the start because of what a plumber said to him.
"I remember one day in our house in Highgate, it was Grand National Day, and the plumber was there to fix the washing machine,” he explained.
“And Amanda came running and said, ‘We need to put a bet on’, so [I gave her] ten quid and she went, ‘Oh we need to put more than that on’. So I went, ‘Twenty?’
“And the plumber went, ‘Kids, eh?’ Maybe I should have known then.”
Speaking to the Express in 2009, Amanda admitted: “I found the fall from grace incredibly hard to deal with.
“I can’t bear not to be liked. Then I had an affair and overnight turned into this awful person.
“There are no hard feelings with Les. I wish him the best but we’ve both moved on.”
Topics: Amanda Holden, Celebrity
Anish Vij