Amanda Holden Reveals the Unbelievable Rumour About Her Divorce That Left Her Laughing Out Loud

Twenty years down the line from their headline-making split, Amanda Holden is still cracking up over one uproarious rumor that tabloids gleefully ran with after her divorce from Les Dennis. Picture this: a plumber mistakes his wife for his daughter, and the world wonders if that was just an awkward encounter or an omen of doom for their marriage. Spoiler alert — both Amanda and Les admit the match was bound to fizzle, but it’s the chitchat about Les supposedly finding comfort in none other than Diana Ross that takes the cake. Turns out, it wasn’t the Queen of Soul offering a shoulder, but rather Amanda’s friend Jane Wall, and the mix-up spawned some of the most delightfully bizarre gossip of the era. As Amanda peels back the curtain on that wild tale, she also reflects on trust, heartbreak, and the complicated dance of extra-marital affairs with candid honesty… Ready to dive into the juicy details and laugh along with her? LEARN MORE.

It’s been over two decades since they divorced, but Amanda Holden has admitted she still finds one rumour which circulated after her split from Les Dennis absolutely ‘hilarious’.

The Britain’s Got Talent judge, 54, has told how one piece of tittle-tattle which was splashed across the tabloids still has her in stitches all these years later.

She got hitched to former Family Fortunes host Dennis when she was just 24, although both admit that the marriage was destined to fail in hindsight.

Dennis confessed he ‘should have known’ him and Holden weren’t going to last after a plumber mistook his new wife for his daughter – but they stuck it out until 2002.

Their seven-year marriage eventually came to an end after Holden’s affair with Line of Duty star Neil Morrissey came to light in the press.

The couple, who had a 17 year age gap, split in 2002 after seven years of marriage (Mark Cuthbert/UK Press via Getty Images)

And amid their messy split, Brits were waiting to see who might offer Dennis a shoulder to cry on – and according to reports, Diana Ross did the honours.

Well, that was according to newspaper reports at the time anyway, who claimed that the Liverpudlian TV star, 71, had sought solace in the arms of the legendary soul singer.

Holden has now spoken out about her former husband allegedly ‘finding comfort’ in Ross after their breakup, revealing the rumours were actually spawned from a case of mistaken identity.

Speaking on the Tea at Four podcast, the actress explained that although she ‘hates to bring it up’, the anecdote was too amusing not to share.

“When I was going through a divorce, my friend Jane Wall, who is a mixed-race actress, was living in my house,” Holden explained.

“We were helping her, she was living there basically so she could save up for a mortgage, and it [reports] said, my then-husband was being ‘comforted by Diana Ross’. So that was hilarious.”

Wall, 53, is best known by Brits for her role on The Bill, where she played Detective Inspector Di Worrell from 1999 to 2002, while she also appeared in Dangerfield, A Touch of Frost, Doctors and Holby City.

Holden pictured with her pal Jane Wall (Ferdaus Shamim/WireImage)

Wall also went on to secure roles in Grey’s Anatomy, Ghost Whisperer, and The OA – and apparently, she could have moonlighted as a Diana Ross impersonator too.

Dennis also addressed the accusations about his alleged liaison with the ‘Upside Down’ singer years ago, describing the rumour as ‘ridiculous’.

Asked about the most bizarre stories he had read about himself in the paper, the ex-Coronation Street actor told the Independent in 2004: “Well, there’ve been a few, but there was one instance that was particularly ridiculous.

“When everything was going a bit crazy a few years ago, a friend of mine, Jane Wall, was visiting my house.

“She’s an actress who’s been in The Bill, among other things. When she left, these two journalists chased her down the street in a car.

“The next day, the headline said that I was being comforted by pop diva Diana Ross.”

Diana Ross’ name got dragged into Dennis and Holden’s relationship drama (Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Academy Museum of Motion Pictures)

Holden also spoke about the topic of cheating while appearing on the podcast, revealing her prognosis for a relationship when a betrayal has taken place.

“If the trust’s been broken, you have to repair the trust, and that can be tough,” she said.

The mum-of-two previously alluded to the reason behind her extra-marital activities with Morrissey while discussing the fallout which ensued after her split from Dennis.

“I found the fall from grace incredibly hard to deal with, she said. “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. I don’t believe women have affairs for no reason. Women don’t seek sex – we seek love and affirmation.”