Britain’s Got Talent judge Amanda Holden has revealed the brutal nickname she gave her ex-husband Les Dennis after their arguments “got out of hand”.
Reflecting on her marriage with the Liverpool-born actor, Amanda shared how she would often share heated words with Les as she detailed their differences in her autobiography, No Holding Back.
And, it was due to his changing complexion as his temper flared that she decided to start naming him after a famous children’s book character, saying: “When Les lost his temper, his blood would rise and he’d get pinker and pinker in the face until he looked like Piglet from Winnie the Pooh, which became his nickname.”
Harking back to one moment where the 71-year-old reportedly lost his temper, she added: “One day he lost his temper over nothing and hurled his cup of coffee at the ceiling. We both sat in stunned silence, watching it drip down.”
And, explaining how she tried to make light of the situation, she said that she attempted to crack a joke with Les: “As usual, I tried a one-liner. ‘I think I can see the face of Jesus appearing up there’.”
After first meeting while they were performing at Bournemouth’s Pavilion Theatre during The Sound of Music, Amanda and Les tied the knot in June 1995. But, their marriage came to an end eight years later amid revelations that she had had an affair with Waterloo Road star Neil Morrisey.
Since their split the pair have both gone on to re-marry. Having met Claire Nicholson in 2005, Les married her four years later and currently have two children together. Meanwhile, five years after her divorce from the former Coronation Street actor, Amanda tied the knot with record producer Chris Hughes, and they have two daughters together; Alexa ‘Lexi’ Louise Florence and Hollie Rose.
Speaking to the Daily Mail after their split, Amanda, who turned 54 last week, said: “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.'”