Seven-year itch hits as Amanda and Les split up

TV BEAUTY Amanda Holden and her comic actor husband Les Dennis yesterday said their seven-year marriage was over.

The pair said it was an “amicable” split and declared no one else was involved.

Their marriage was rocked three years ago when Ms Holden had an affair with Men Behaving Badly actor Neil Morrissey.

After spending time apart following the fling early in 2000, they tried to give their marriage a second try.

A statement issued on the couple’s behalf said yesterday: “It is with great sadness that Les Dennis and Amanda Holden announce that their seven-year marriage has come to an end. The parting is amicable. They are and will remain close friends.”

Ms Holden, 31, said: “It is very sad. We have been together for 10 years and we have tried hard to make our marriage work. I have the most enormous love and respect for Les.”

Mr Dennis, formerly the host of ITV’s Family Fortunes, said: “Amanda and I have had a good marriage and I have no regrets. Sadly, we have grown apart recently and we both feel that it is time to move on.

The pair said they would not be making any other statements or giving interviews about their marriage.

Mr Dennis, 48, and Ms Holden are understood to have spent Christmas apart.

Her career has been in the ascendant in recent times while Mr Dennis has also branched out into new areas including a starring role in West End show Chicago and regular appearances on Channel 4’s Brookside.

He recently decided to quit Family Fortunes after more than a decade.

The couple have been unable to shake off doubts about the future of their marriage since her affair with Neil Morrissey.

They had a trial separation after details of her liaison emerged.

Mr Dennis said recently: “If it had been me, they would have said, ‘OK Les, that’s fine, good for you. Hey, Les the lad!’.

“In our business, where marriages do not work, and where something happened and we got back on track, shouldn’t we be seen as pioneering? We haven’t got kids and can just walk up and leave when we want, but we choose to stay with each other.”