Born:
February 16, 1971
in
Bishop's Waltham, Hampshire
Best Known For:
Being a judge on Britain's Got Talent.
Early-life:
Born Amanda Louise Holden in Bishop's Waltham, Hampshire, on February 16, 1971. She grew up in Southsea, before moving to Bournemouth in her teens. After completing her A-levels she went to Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts in north London where she trained for three years. She then made an impression as a contestant on Blind Date in 1991. Her younger sister, Debbie, is a former model who is now a scuba-diving instructor.
Career:
Holden's first dramatic role was as a murder victim in the Edward Woodward series In Suspicious Circumstances. Bit parts in EastEnders and the Julie Walters film Intimate Relations (1996) paved the way for larger roles in The Grimleys, Kiss Me Kate, Happy Birthday Shakespeare and other TV dramas, as well as filling in for Judy Finnigan on ITV's This Morning. She also appeared in the Anthony Edwards movie Don't Go Breaking My Heart (1999), steamy miniseries The Hunt and short-lived sitcom Big Top. Arguably her most successful acting projects have been Cutting It and Wild at Heart. She has been on the judging panel of Britain's Got Talent since 2007 and played the role of Princess Fiona in the West End production of Shrek the Musical in 2011. In 2013, she published her autobiography, No Holding Back.
Quote:
"I certainly don't think I would use my looks or anything like that to take advantage of any situation. I don't know why, it's just not in my nature."
Trivia:
Holden is an ambassador for Battersea Dogs and Cats Home.