Amanda Holden wowed fans once again recently when she posted glamorous shots of herself in a bikini on holiday.
But despite many praising her for looking so incredible, some people weren’t so complimentary. And sources have told Closer that it’s left Amanda, 53, feeling worried.
One follower said of her pictures, “She’s getting more and more desperate to be relevant as the years clearly advance”.
Another commented, “Is her life totally obsessed with posing for Insta pictures – look at me, look at me, all a bit desperate”.
“The latest comments have really triggered Amanda and it’s made her spiral – worrying about not only losing the pin-up status she’s worked so hard to achieve, but triggering a deep- rooted fear that she’s taken it too far and panicking it could be ruining her career,” a source tells Closer.
“Amanda prides herself on defying her age and loves the attention she gets for her body, so to see the tide change and people label her desperate and accuse her of using her body to cling onto her fame has been soul-destroying.
“Given how quickly her life was turned upside down once before, this has all been extremely triggering for Amanda and it’s sent her into panic-mode.”
Amanda’s career took an epic nosedive in 2000 following her affair with Men Behaving Badly star Neil Morrissey, 61, while married to comedian, Les Dennis, 70.
Opening up about the fling – which she revealed “ruined my reputation” – the mum-of-two said, “I brought it on myself, I appreciate that, but nothing will ever be as bad again. It was a very dark time. It got to the point where I felt I could hardly breathe.”
The former actress – who shares daughters Lexi, 18, and Hollie, 14, with her music producer husband, Chris Hughes – has previously credited her BGT boss and co-judge, Simon Cowell, 64, for saving her career when he offered her a judging role on the hit talent show in 2007.
During an interview in 2013, she said, “I’m grateful to him [Simon]. Obviously he’s made me a lot of money, but he also gave me an amazing profile change.”
Our insider continues, “While friends and family have urged her to keep doing what she’s doing, there’s a big part of her that’s questioning whether she’s taken the whole sex-symbol thing too far. It’s sent her into a spin of paranoia about how it’s affecting her career.”
Last year, the former Blind Date contestant was criticised for “flaunting” and “parading” her body after donning a series of risqué outfits during the BGT finals – even breaking OFCOM records with over 600 complaints in her J-Lo-esque plunging dress in 2017.
“Her worst fear is being aged-out by younger, hotter stars – she doesn’t want to be replaced by younger women.
The source says, “While she has no intention of overhauling her image, it’s made her think about ways she can maintain her pin-up status without stirring up so much hate.
“Amanda isn’t going to start covering up any time soon, she is going to be more conscious that she doesn’t pigeon-hole herself as a celebrity just known for a good figure and a daring wardrobe.
“She’d love to get back into acting and bag a TV drama or a guest role in a soap, and while she wants to hold onto her pin-up status, she knows it’s a fine line and feels she needs more of a balance to prove her talents go beyond her image.”