AMANDA HOLDEN has been hot-footing it around the country judging auditions for the fifth run of the UK’s smash hit show Britain’s Got Talent. Only this time it’s without her trusted sidekicks, Simon Cowell and Piers Morgan. While she misses ‘the brilliant chemistry’ with ‘the boys’, she is clearly enjoying working with new colleagues, comedian Michael McIntyre (below left) and American actor David Hasselhoff.

In amongst those touring auditions, Amanda has had to schedule a fitting for the ‘fat suit’ costume that she’ll wear when she takes the part of Princess Fiona in Shrek: The Musical this summer.

For now, she is concentrating on her most important production of all — a baby boy, who she is due to give birth to at the end of next month.

Amanda, husband Chris Hughes and their four-year-old daughter Lexi announced the pregnancy last month saying they’re absolutely thrilled and can’t wait to welcome the new addition to the family. They decided to keep the news to themselves until Amanda was six months pregnant as she sadly lost a baby last year. 

So she’ll complete filming for the ‘heats’ of BGT, give birth, be back for the Talent final in May and begin Shrek on stage in June. Phew!

Are you excited about Shrek, Amanda?

I’m really excited. Of course I’m filled with trepidation as always because anything live, when you have to put yourself up there and out there for criticism, is scary. But it is a part that is made for me. There is a song where Princess Fiona has to burp and things through it, and anyone who knows me knows that it’s made for me! 

And it’s all change at Britain’s Got Talent. Simon likes change? 

Yeah, he loves change and I think that any change which is good for the show is absolutely the right course of action without a doubt. 

There was lots of controversy surrounding the last series of The X Factor and the use of auto-tuning. Were you surprised by that? 

It doesn’t happen on our show (laughs), as you can see! And I think that’s right. I think auditions are auditions and you should see the good, the bad and the ugly.

And Simon has said there should be less focus on the clothes and the hair next year?

Oh, come on, he’s the one who takes the longest in the dressing room. Piers and I were always outside waiting!

What happened when you went to America and saw Piers? 

I did loads of stuff with the television channel CBS, including a big interview with Piers. He said I could ask him anything and I said, ‘In five years’ time I’m going to quote you on that.’ He promised never to have any kind of enhancement or plastic surgery and I said, ‘In five years’ time I’m going to do a before and after.’ Then I said, ‘It might not be your choice, Piers, because in America they like perfection and you ain’t perfect.’ (laughs)

Do you think Piers will be a great replacement for chat show legend Larry King in America?

I think it’s an incredible and an ingenious idea because obviously in America they have no idea that Piers is kind of a veteran journalist and broadcaster — they only know him as a talent judge. So he did extraordinarily well to beat the competition that he had. I think he’ll be fabulous!

You’re looking amazing at the moment. Do you think you’ve got better with age? 

I think as you get older you understand more about your image, how you’re looking and what suits you. So I’ve given up blue eyeliner and pink eyeshadow which is what I used to go around wearing. And I’ve got nice make-up artists now who all plaster me up and send me out. You should see me on a weekend, it’s dreadful, not pleasant!

Do you have any top style tips? 

Always have your Spanx (control undies). And it’s always nice if you get a bit of a spray tan to brighten up the winter whites!

Are you getting ready to wear a lot of green for Shrek? 

I will be wearing green. My husband said it will match my teeth — how charming of him! (laughs)

You’ve said before that you work to fund your shoe habit, so you must have lots? 

I know, it’s terrible. Well, this does sound a lot but when I talk to other people, they sometimes look at me as if to say that’s not a lot. I was speaking to Jodie Kidd earlier and I think she’s got more than me. I said I’ve got over 200 pairs of shoes and she was looking at me thinking, ‘That’s quite minor compared to what I’ve got.’ 

How is Lexi and do you think she will follow in your footsteps? 

Do you know what, she’s just not interested in performance. She takes more after her dad than me, although she has just started this thing where she puts a cardigan on her head and does this little old woman dance in the middle of things! She says, ‘Mummy, there’s a break now so I’m going to do my old lady dance.’ But that’s as far as it’s gone, although she did say to me, ‘Mummy, were you on stage at 4?’ and I said, ‘Yes darling, come on, come on!’

And then what does she say?

She’s just not interested. I think she’s more likely to be a producer or a director, she’s very bossy. She’s more sensible than me; she won’t be in front of the camera. I know it’s a cliché but whatever she wants to do she can do. If she wanted to go on television and I thought she could handle it then absolutely. Your children dictate it to you. 

She sounds hilarious . . .

I know. We made flapjacks and when they’d cooled she said, ‘Mummy, can I have a flapjack now?’ I said yes and she said, ‘Thanks, love pants.’ I just don’t know where it came from, she’s so Austin Powers, but it made me laugh my head off. 

It sounds like you’re really loving your time with her at the moment? 

It is such a lovely age. It’s absolutely joyous having children, if you’re lucky enough to have them, and as they grow up it just gets better and better. At five months they start smiling and then they start having conversations with you and then they start wanting to clip around in your shoes, which obviously I love. Lexi is a complete pink princess and she always says when I come down in a sparkly dress for a show or something, ‘Mummy when I’m a bit bigger can I have that?’ And I just think, ‘Yes! I’ll put it all away and all of it can be for you later on.’ She’s definitely not a tomboy so it’ll be nice to have someone climbing trees in the future — and someone who can be in goal because I’m sick of always being in goal in my back garden! (laughs)

What does Lexi make of Simon? 

She says, ‘Mummy, you’re possessed with Simon, you’re possessed with him.’ I think she means obsessed because she obviously hears me talking about him all the time, poor Chris — and I think, yeah she’s right really!

You say you’re a natural flirt and that’s certainly why you get on with Simon because he is the same? 

He’s terrible. He has a real twinkle in his eye and he’s very tactile. I’m always giving him tickles and Piers is always gagging on the side but that’s how we are, that’s our relationship. And he’s always had a soft side. 

Really, things couldn’t be going better for you at the moment. Do you enjoy the whole fame thing? 

I promise you I didn’t go in to showbusiness to be famous. When I was at drama school it was because I wanted to work. When the fame thing comes along and it’s, you know, like Piers says — it’s brilliant. There are some big downsides but most of it is fantastic and up and there’s loads of perks so I’m never ever going to moan about it! 

By Sam Cottee/Hot Features.