Amanda Holden has revealed the perils of parenting teen girls and says her youngest daughter ‘won’t speak to her.’
The Britain’s Got Talent judge, 54, told the Daily Mail that while saying goodbye to eldest Lexi, 19, for university last year was emotional, it’s life at home with her youngest Hollie, 14, that’s proving tougher.
Amanda compares herself to friends like Myleene Klass, 47, who broke down seeing her daughter off, but says she’s trying to enjoy the quiet while Lexi studies.
The TV presenter, whose husband is music producer Chris Hughes, predicts Lexi will soon be back home after university, inevitably racking up ‘debt.’
She also defended Lexi, who is signed to modelling agency Storm, against ‘nepo baby’ claims, noting her daughter works two jobs alongside her studies.
Amanda said: ‘Very sadly, I have a child at university and a 14-year-old who doesn’t really want to speak to me.
Amanda Holden has revealed the perils of parenting teen girls and says her youngest daughter ‘won’t speak to her’ (Amanda pictured with daughters Lexi and Hollie)
The Britain’s Got Talent judge told the Daily Mail that while saying goodbye to eldest Lexi for university was emotional, it’s life at home with her youngest Hollie that’s proving tougher
She also defended Lexi, (pictured) who is signed to modelling agency Storm, against ‘ nepo baby’ claims, noting her daughter works two jobs alongside her studies
‘I don’t feel too bad about it, I saw Myleene was all emotional and I feel it, there are so many mums feeling like that but last year, Lexi went to university, and I was tearful.
‘Me and Chris drove her in a van, unpacked and drove back in a van and we had the nicest weekend. We said goodbye, we were both crying but that was that.
‘Also, they come back, they finish university, they don’t know what to do, they’re in debt, and they come back and live at home. This is just a small break.’
Amanda insists it’s unfair to call her daughter a ‘nepo baby’ because she juggles two jobs, including modelling for Storm, the agency that made Kate Moss a star.
Lexi recently starred in a glamorous Storm shoot, wearing a tight-fitting blazer that accentuated her model figure and striking resemblance to her mother.
She said: ‘They can throw ‘nepo’ around all day long, but it doesn’t really mean anything. If you are related to someone in the public eye, you immediately get that phrase.
‘I saw during London Fashion Week there was Iris Law and Romeo Beckham but within their own way they are brilliant, and they will last. Iris Law is stunning.
‘It doesn’t matter who her mum and dad are, they may have given her a knee up, which I think anybody in any industry, like I hear all the time with financing and banking, somebody’s son has got in the office because of who they know.
Amanda admitted she was ‘teary’ when Lexi left for university last year but wasn’t as emotional as pal Myleene Klass, who sobbed saying goodbye to daughter Ava
Lexi recently starred in a glamorous Storm shoot, wearing a tight-fitting blazer that accentuated her model figure and striking resemblance to her mother
Amanda’s daughter slipped into an oversized faux fur coat for the shoot, her long legs on display in tights and sleek black heels
‘To survive, though, you have to be able to back it up or they will just fall by the wayside.’
Amanda recalls her working-class upbringing, raised by her mother and grandmother, and says her first job was far from glamorous.
The Heart breakfast host adds her biggest motivation has been creating her £7million family home, inspired by the Beverly Hills Hotel.
She said: ‘My mum and dad got me a job in a fruit shop because they knew the owner, so I was a name in the fruit and veg world!
‘My schedule now is really intense and can be overwhelming, but Chris is brilliant, and we have people at home that help, my parents help, my sister is in the country at the moment and she’s helping. It’s all hands-on deck.
‘I get up at 5am every morning and do the radio show, because that’s how long it takes to get ready and get there and everything.
‘I thought, I want a house and that’s why I get up at 5am. I just have to spend some time in it and stop working.
‘I’m not the only one, Lexi also works as a student; she has two jobs while she’s at uni. She is working during the day and is doing stuff for Storm.’
Amanda has added another project to her workload by becoming the host of BBC show Celebrity Inner Circle.
The presenter has added another project to her workload by becoming the host of BBC show Celebrity Inner Circle, which premieres on Saturday night before Strictly Come Dancing
Amanda admits she learned some surprising facts on the BBC quiz show including that slugs have teeth
Celebrity Inner Circle, a mix of The Traitors and The Weakest Link, premieres Saturday night before Strictly Come Dancing and promises to test relationships as well as general knowledge.
She admits she’s nervous about presenting solo but is determined to make it a success.
Amanda said: ‘I do feel nervous because it’s been a long process and I have been there through every part of it.
‘They asked me to do it before it went to pilot. I did that in a church hall with a load of execs all seeing if this would work.
‘There were so many people at the BBC in turn all coming to make sure every single component works. I was in my trainers running around, questioning and talking and because of that process it feels like it’s more me and less quiz show host.
‘It feels authentic and I care about it, which is why I want it to work. It means a lot to everyone and to me.’
Amanda, who shot all 32 episodes of the show in Glasgow earlier this year, reveals the one standout outfit she loved wearing, by a designer we all know.
She said: ‘It was a huge wardrobe but I wore a couple of things I had worn on other shows, like a few years ago. That’s what you call sustainable fashion.
‘There was a really lovely, leather Victoria Beckham dress. I also had a lot of dresses in my wardrobe which I’ve never worn on Heart that I bought myself which I wear.’
But it wasn’t just the fashion for Amanda, who said she actually picked up some new facts through her presenting of the show, adding: ‘I learned that slugs have got teeth.
‘Bananas are berries, strawberries are part of the rose family, my takeaway wasn’t what colours are in the Croatian flag, it was slugs have got teeth and I’ve told everyone.’
- The Inner Circle will premiere on BBC One and iPlayer from Saturday 4th October launching with the celebrity version. The daytime quiz will start on Monday 6th October
