She’s been flooding her Instagram with stunning bikini-clad pictures from her sun-soaked getaway to Greece, but Amanda Holden has faced a cruel backlash from trolls.
While many were left wowed by the snaps, some were less complimentary. “She don’t half fancy herself – so airbrushed!” one wrote, while another said, “Oh, look at me I am beautiful, how many likes will I get.”
And sources have told Closer that the usually thick-skinned mum-of-two is now finding that the cruel comments are getting her down.
“The recent backlash with haters reacting badly to her holiday snaps has understandably given Amanda’s confidence a big knock and has forced her to question whether the buzz she gets from the positive comments is worth the extra scrutiny,” an insider reveals.
“Her management – as well as her family and friends – have been warning her about going overboard with her posts, worrying it could cause the public to turn on her for not only constantly flaunting her incredible figure and appearing to be self-obsessed, but for setting unrealistic goals for women, especially when she’s been accused of airbrushing.”
Amanda, 53, who has been enjoying a family holiday with husband Chris Hughes, 69, and their two daughters Lexi, 18, and Hollie, 12, has become famed for her age-defying looks and risque outfits.
Opening up about her youthful appearance, she previously said, “We’ve got big cheeks in our family and good jawlines. So I think as long as that’s all staying like that, I don’t mind. I don’t think I look 50, but I don’t think I look 30. I have been called Mandy Button in the past, which is so flattering!”
Amanda has insisted she’s never had plastic surgery, and she revealed that she stopped getting Botox after spending time in intensive care following the birth of her daughter Hollie.
However, she’s admitted that she is a fan of non-surgical beauty treatments. “I’ve been having Collagen Wave facials. It’s done amazing things to my face. I’m a fan of various creams and potions, too, and lots of water (and wine!), but really, I think it’s down to genetics. I’m up for anything, though nothing invasive,” she once said.
It’s not the first time the TV star has come under scrutiny. She previously faced criticism over her X-rated dresses on Britain’s Got Talent – with one plunging frock receiving 663 Ofcom complaints back in 2017. Hitting back, Amanda claimed the ITV show is “the perfect opportunity to take risks” and revealed her outfits are monitored before she goes on stage. “There’s now a whole body of people that knock on my door and come and stare at my chest before we go on air,” she said. “There’s a t*t committee. There are so many brilliant people, they come down, knock on the door and there’s the lady who’s the producer who said, ‘Mandy, it looks great’.”
Despite her defiant attitude, our insider says that those close to her are growing increasingly worried about the potential damage to her reputation.
“Amanda’s always been loved for being a down-to-earth mum who’s relatable both on and off screen, but since her mission to become a sex-symbol, her crown as one of the nation’s best-loved faces is slipping and those around her are worried that if she doesn’t scale it back, she could suffer another backlash like she did at the start of her career,” the source says.
“It’s caused a bit of friction between her and Chris, whose warnings seem to have fallen on deaf ears. While he supports his wife showing-off the incredible figure she works so hard to maintain, it’s upsetting for him too to see all the negative comments, and it’s caused tension when Amanda brushes-off his concerns.”
There are also worries about her future on BGT. While Amanda has been a staple on the show since it first aired in 2007, Closer previously reported how she and boss Simon Cowell have drifted apart in recent times.
“It’s no secret that Simon likes to keep his talent judges on their toes – often switching people around to spice things up – but Amanda doesn’t want to play that game any more,” a source said. And now, we’re told, “There’s an added wave of panic in her camp with whispers that Simon is going to drop her from BGT amid fears the public are getting bored of her ‘attention seeking’. She’s heard he is talking about changing things up next year.
“He and Amanda aren’t as close as they used to be and she’s noticed he’s seemed more distant in recent weeks, so the fear of being axed from the show that relaunched her career, coupled with the rise of haters, has made her re-think how she’s going about things and finally start listening to those around her.”