Long before she proved her worth as an actress on Wild at Heart and The Grimleys, or won the nation's heart for her role on Britain's Got Talent, Amanda Holden hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons and gained a reputation which she says she found incredibly difficult to shed.
Speaking to Fabulous magazine, the 45-year-old star reflected on the extra-marital affair she had with actor, Neil Morrisey, while she was married to Family Fortunes host Les Dennis in 2000.
Drawing attention to the disparity which exists between men and women in these often heartwrenching situations, Amanda said: "Men can go out, come back and not think about it, whereas women live with the guilt and get punished."
Explaining that despite the 16 years which have passed, the star is often asked to explain her role in the then high-profile love triangle, saying: "People still talk about it to me and it’s been, what, 20 years?"
The much-loved star, who is mum to daughters Alexa and Hollie with husband Chris Hughes whom she married in 2008, recalled the public's perception of her at the time and explains that it was something she had to fight to disprove.
"I was maybe seen as a threatening person because I’d had an affair, and I think women judge that quite harshly," she asserted. "But when you see who the person really is, and they’re not this vampy I-don’t-know-what…"
Now happily married to Chris and the mother of two beautiful daughters, Amanda claims the tumultuous period in her life only helped pave the way for a happier future, saying: "You might regret upsetting people… It all makes you tougher and harder and stronger."
Amanda married Les in 1995 before ultimately divorcing in 2003.
