Amanda Holden admits she ‘had a lot to learn’ in first marriage that ended after her shock affair

AMANDA Holden has admitted she “had a lot to learn” about life when she married Les Dennis.

The star, now 52, was just 23 when she tied the knot to the comedian – who was 17 years her senior.

After just five years of marriage their relationship crumbled after Amanda’s very public affair with fellow actor Neil Morrissey.

Quizzed about if she was looking for a father figure when she married Les, Amanda told The Times: “I don’t know because I’ve never done therapy, but there is a sort of safety in a relationship like that.

“I was very young and I had a lot to learn about life.”

Speaking in the past about the shock affair, which was exposed by her now friend Piers Morgan, Amanda told the Mail: “I brought it on myself, I appreciate that, but nothing will ever be as bad again.

“It was a very dark time. It got to the point where I felt I could hardly breathe.

“Les proved to be my saviour. Ironically. So the person I’d hurt the most in the world was the one who was there for me.”

Neil also addressed the affair in the past, saying: “I don’t think we could have avoided starting it but we could have dealt with it differently.

“Amanda was having problems with her relationship anyway, as far as I was concerned. The ring was on the finger but the marriage was not really there.

“That was my understanding at the time. We had a lovely time when we had that brief fling.”

Amanda is now married to Chris Hughes and the couple share two children, Alexa and Hollie.