AMANDA HOLDEN,

THE HIGHEST PAID WOMAN ON OUR TV SCREENS, LAUNCHES A FASHION RANGE

Witty, warm and wonderfully charismatic, Amanda Holden instantly lights up the screen like a supercharged disco ball whenever she appears on TV. It’s impossible not to be a teensy bit in awe of her fabulously healthy appearance. At 48, her bikini selfies from a recent family holiday abroad prompted a tidal wave of flattering comments from admiring fans on social media.

The sunshine break was a welcome opportunity for Amanda to recharge her batteries ahead of the launch of her first ever fashion collection with Fenn

Wright Manson and her return to our screens later this month in Britain’s Got Talent: The Champions, which sees past winners compete for the ultimate BGT accolade. There’s a lot for Amanda to celebrate right now – just days ago, the news broke that she’d reportedly overtaken Holly Willoughby as the UK’S top earning female TV star, raking in an alleged £5 million a year!

Amanda has turned the Saturday night talent show into her own catwalk extravaganza. While some of her more daring choices have attracted a flurry of Ofcom complaints, Amanda – who is

Above: Amanda has a fabulous figure and was confident enough to post bikini snaps while holidaying in Greece recently (right)

Shoes are one of Amanda’s weaknesses. She credits ‘different coloured nude classic shoes’ as her best buys, explaining: ‘Because I tan throughout the year I start with a pale nude in the winter and go through to a dark nude by the end of summer.’

Elaborating on her style choices, she insists: ‘I dress for myself, nobody else. I love looking at what other people are wearing for inspiration, but I know what works for me. I think the way you’re perceived, rightly or wrongly, is based on how you look. I treat clothing as armour so I can go out and face the world and battle each day. If you feel good in what you’re wearing then you’ll shine brightly. It really is as simple as that.’

With her renowned flair for fashion, it’s apt that Amanda is launching her first collection for long-standing British brand Fenn Wright Manson, boasting outfits ‘that look rich and expensive, but don’t cost the earth’. The Amanda Holden Collection, which oozes ‘showbiz sparkle’, ranges from elegant dresses and chic separates to a super slinky jumpsuit, where power dressing meets party panache.

‘I don’t like fashion for fashion’s sake so these are classic pieces that can stay in your wardrobe for years to come,’ says Amanda. ‘I have a lot of navy and teals in my home décor so I’ve incorporated that into the collection.’ As a personal touch, each item is named after Amanda’s closest friends, including her Britain’s Got Talent co-judge Alesha Dixon with the Alesha dress. ‘I’m a girl’s girl and always have been,’ she’s previously said, quashing speculation of any rivalry with Alesha by insisting: ‘I’m proud to call her my friend.’

Amanda’s two daughters get name-checked in the collection too, which makes it difficult for Amanda to pick out a favourite piece. ‘That would be like asking me to choose between my two daughters, which is absolutely impossible!’

Despite her status as a savvy style guru, Amanda – who also co-presents the Heart Breakfast national radio show – admits to making the occasional poor fashion choices herself. ‘I buy almost the same jumper every winter and my husband will say: “Didn’t you already buy that jumper last year… and the year before?!”’

With Amanda living her best life right now, her career is about to take an unexpected turn in 2020 with the launch of her music career. She

says she’s ‘thrilled’ to have signed ‘an amazing record deal’ with Virgin EMI Records, describing it as ‘a lifetime dream’. Having already proved her vocal talents starring in West End show

Thoroughly Modern Millie in 2003, it was a clip of her belting out The Greatest Showman song

Tightrope which sealed the deal.

Announcing the news in June, it provided a welcome distraction from her recent feud with Phillip Schofield. Their conflict was reignited following rumours that he told This Morning bosses not to hire Amanda as a stand-in for Holly while she was presenting I’m A Celebrity – Get Me Out Of Here! last year.

Amanda compares her inner strength to the resilience her BGT boss Simon Cowell clearly possesses in the face of criticism: ‘We’re very similar in that way. I’m tougher. He said to me once I was made of steel – and I said titanium.’

Well to us, Amanda, you’re pure gold!

THE AMANDA HOLDEN COLLECTION FOR FENN WRIGHT MANSON IS AVAILABLE NOW, VISIT FENNWRIGHTMANSON.COM/PAGES/AMANDAHOLDEN-COLLECTION.

Style icon Amanda Holden is excited to be launching her very first collection with Fenn Wright Manson

Above: Amanda has sparked controversy in the past with some of her outfits, but says: ‘My children don’t bat an eyelid at what I wear and love borrowing my clothes.‘ She has even named two pieces from her collection after her daughters, including the Hollie jumpsuit (facing page)

mum to daughters Alexa, 13, and sevenyear-old Hollie – is typically unfazed by the criticism, especially suggestions that she’s not dressing ‘age appropriately’. She says: ‘I dress to feel confident. I try not to think about age anymore when I’m dressing. My children don’t bat an eyelid at what I wear and love borrowing my clothes.’ Her appearances on Britain’s Got Talent provide the ideal outlet for her passion for fashion. ‘I have fun on Britain’s Got Talent – it’s the perfect opportunity to take risks. Times have changed and I don’t feel anyone should feel pressure to dress for your age. It’s all about body positivity and feeling good.’ Never one to let the haters get to her, Amanda avidly embraced the attention her cleavage attracted during an episode of BGT. Referring to the sensational Julien Macdonald dress she’d worn, she said: ‘I love it that people are still talking about my tired old breasts and I’m nearly 50!’ And she’s very in tune with the look that excites her record producer husband Chris Hughes, who she married in 2008 after four years together in a wedding exclusively covered by OK!. ‘My kneehigh boots come out on special occasions – they always please my husband Chris!’

Above: Amanda is on top of the world at the moment with her new fashion line, a record deal, her TV and radio jobs and happy family life with husband Chris and their daughters Alexa and Hollie (left)