Amanda Holden has admitted “it feels weird” as she comes to terms with a huge family change that has left her household a little smaller – but she has a resolution that might help fill the space
Amanda Holden’s eldest daughter Lexi has flown the nest (Image: INSTAGRAM)
TV and radio presenter Amanda Holden admitted a huge family change still “feels weird” – but she has a solution to the shift.
The 54-year-old was talking on her Heart Radio show with Jamie Theakston and Ashley Roberts about Hollywood superstar Gwyneth Paltrow’s comments about her empty nest. Both of the American star’s kids have left for college.
Amanda admitted she has recently gone through something similar as her eldest daughter, Lexi – who celebrates her 20th birthday tomorrow (Wednesday, January 21) – has left for university.
She conceded she is still getting used to living in a household of three with husband Chris Hughes and youngest daughter Hollie, 13.
The mum-of-two said: “I feel her pain. Lexi’s at uni, there are three of us just sitting down having dinner, it feels weird.”
Amanda Holden with husband Chris Hughes and daughters Hollie and Lexi(Image: Internet Unknown)
Amanda though has a novel approach to her house feeling emptier.
Speaking to co-star Jamie, who has two children in their late teens, she said: “But you’re OK because you’ve got like 19 cats and two dogs. I’m looking to extend my brood. My husband is gulping but I want to get another dog.”
Jamie then joked: “I thought you were going to say you wanted to have another child.”
Amanda responded: “No, but it’s the same thing, another furry baby. We’ve got a nice home, we’ve got a good garden, let’s rescue another one.”
It comes after Amanda made an on-air plea to her husband Chris as she hinted at a family regret.
As well as their two daughters, the couple had a stillborn son, Theo, in 2011. Amanda admitted she wished she had been able to have more children with her husband.
Speaking on her Heart Radio show, she said: “Oh I would’ve had loads if I had met Chris earlier, I would’ve had loads.
“I would’ve gone for four I think, but yeah I’m going to say we had three, we ended up with two if you know what I mean.
Amanda Holden is hoping to add more dogs to her family(Image: GC Images)
“[We’ve got] lots of furry babies, I’m going to have to talk to Chris because I really want to rescue another puppy and if he’s listening and it goes out on air, it’ll be very difficult for him to turn me down.”
Amanda and Chris adopted rescue dog Rudie and Muffy the cat from Battersea Dogs and Cats home.
The presenter brought home another cat, named Bolt, after falling in love with him during a holiday in Greece last year.
However, introducing her new pet into the household did not come without its challenges. Speaking on the show in October, Amanda said an incident between her cats left her injured.
She explained: “Oh my gosh, well, I’ve been attacked by my own cat, not my rescue [cat], who is very sweet and is trying to be subservient with our Princess who is 15, [but] she is absolutely not having it.
“And yesterday they came across each other, we’ve been keeping them very separate. And I put my hand in, because they started fighting, and I had to try and separate them.”
