Tea at Four - Amanda Holden spills the tea on cheating, BGT and being the ultimate hun

Episode Date: April 25, 2025

In this special episode, Lauren and Billy are joined by ultimate hun Amanda Holden, where she spills all about her new show 'Cheat: Unfinished Business', why she’s stopped judging people who do the dirty and helps with your relationship dilemmas.ALSO, Amanda reveals some Britain’s Got Talent secrets, the weirdest rumour she’s heard about herself (which involves Diana Ross…) and why she’s forever grateful to Cheryl Cole.Cheat: Unfinished Business is now available to watch on Netflix Let us know if you have any dilemmas or confessions send them into [e-mail] 

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Conditions apply to all benefits. Visit pcfinancial.ca for details. Simon obviously is famous that he asked Cheryl Cole to do it first. She turned it down. Thank God she did. Bet she's kicking herself. They need to dump that person now. Did not know where that storm was going.

I did not expect Diana Ross at the end of it. where that story was going. I did not expect Dynaross at the end of it. ["Dynaross Theme Song"] Welcome to tip four. Oh my gosh, this is so exciting. This is so exciting for us. Thank you so much for coming on. It's a pleasure.

It's an honor. Yeah, it really, really is. I'm going to jump right in. I want to know, are you aware that you're a total hun? What do you mean? You don't know what I mean. I've learned know, are you aware that you're a total hun? What do you mean? You don't know what? I've learned all kinds of language today. It's like a British icon, like a national treasure.

Anyone that's kind of like authentically funny themselves, a little camp, but overall fabulous. Gosh, I love that. Can I put that on my episode when I die? I think you should. I'll put that on my gravestone. Just hun. Living, just get it in Instagram. Rhinestone. Oh, yes, rhinestone. Just hand it to me. Living, just get it in Instagram. Rhinestone. Oh, yes rhinestone.

Love that, love that. So you're obviously here today to promote your new show, Cheat Unfinished Visitors. Yes. Would you mind just explaining to our audience a little bit what it's about? Okay, so it's about eight couples, one of whom or both in a couple of cases

have cheated on each other. They're invested in their relationships though. They've been together for a couple of cases have cheated on each other. They're invested in their relationships though, they've been together for a number of years and so it's about whether they can find their way back to each other and they go through numbers of tests with Paul Z. Brunson who is our love expert, our sort of life coach, therapist, just guru, amazing, well dressed, gorgeous man. therapist, just guru, amazing, well-dressed, gorgeous man. And we provide a sort of space for them to fess up, confront each other and see whether they can work past betrayal. I'm there as like, well somebody this afternoon called me a glamorous HR. I'm going with that. All my favourite aunt. That's non-judgmental and wears silky frocks with a thigh split.

Exactly, that is Hun. That is a Hun. I mean, I've watched the first four episodes and it is like no other dating show out there. I'm glad you said that. There's a lot of history to each relationship. And we always have this conversation, and I want to know what you have to say,

because you asked Paul on the first episode, but do you think you can come back from cheating? Well, we say yes, because that's the premise of the whole show. You've gotta have hope. And I don't wanna spoil anything, but a couple of people do make it back to each other. And if you don't make it back to each other

within the premise of this show, you definitely leave with positive affirmations about yourself. You've learned something about yourself. So I think you carry really good vibes onto your next relationship. So it's got a good outcome, but it is intense and raw and shouty. And there's literally a fire down the middle of the table.

And, yeah, people have been so brave to take part in it. It's definitely worth a watch. Yeah, it's intense. They spill the tea everywhere. Thank you. Everywhere. Yeah, yeah. I don't know if I could do it.

I don't either. I don't wanna say the word triggering, but it definitely brought back some emotions that I fucking wish this kind of format existed when I well, was the cheaty. That is the, that's the other thing. Paul said, you know, if you've suspected that your partner's cheating on you,

or if you are a cheater, or if you are a cheatee, I'm loving this with you. Your English Oxford dictionary. It's a really good show to watch because you'll get answers. You'll find, I don't know, you'll be able to answer some questions that you've been asking yourself, I think, and you'll be able to maybe use some of Paul's advice as tools in your own life to maybe move past stuff

or confront stuff or get out of situations that you maybe shouldn't be in. So it's really interesting. Yeah, I love that. But it't be in. So it's really interesting. Yeah, I love that. But it is about courage. It is, it is. I actually have spoke about this on the podcast before when we've discussed cheating and I've got a bit of a personal stance or theory

and I'd love to hear what you think of it. Okay. So my theory is that women cheat because they are not being fulfilled emotionally and then men cheat because they are tempted by attraction. So I used to say that women who cheat need affirmation and love. So that's similar to what you're saying. But I've learned from Paul now that both sides cheat for various

reasons and neither of them are that. And that once anybody's cheated, whether you consider like texting somebody, sliding into somebody's DMs I don't know going out and saying you're not where you are There's different levels of what people consider cheating but whatever it is. It's a betrayal of trust and once trust is broken in a relationship It's really hard to bring it back, but I would I Used to think how you thought but maybe not so much anymore. Yeah, it's funny There's like that clip where the girls are like,

I just want to know what it is in a cheetah's head that makes it click. Like, what is it? Like scientifically, have they got something? I just think it's so interesting to explore. I think it's also interesting that like you said there that like actually we beat around the bush sometimes whether it's cheating or not,

and sometimes more fun than others. But actually, but actually it is all cheating, isn't it? And if you can just hold your hands up and say that there's been a break of trust. I've learned so much from Paul because he says, obviously in some relationships they've made agreements or there's different, you know,

every relationship's different basically. So the levels of trust or the levels of cheating are completely different to you and me and you. Everybody's different, but I think in any relationship, whether you're in love with somebody or it's a parent or your child or anything, if the trust's been broken, you have to repair the trust. And that can be tough,

but you have to have forgiveness thrown in there as well. Absolutely, snaps of that. Wow, this is very deep. And that can be tough, but you have to have forgiveness thrown in there as well. Absolutely. Snaps are that. Wow, this is very deep. Snaps, snaps. Okay, we'll move into some more lighthearted fun now. Let's talk about my outfit. Yes. Just a quick up and down please. Thank you. Something I find really interesting is that you actually started out on Blind Date as a contestant,

and now you're a host, is incredible so how does that differ? Well I was at drama school I do keep saying I did go to Mountview drama school and it was a television opportunity Blind Date for me I was actually I had a boyfriend and I was replaced I replaced somebody that was supposed to be on and the producers knew all that. And I then went on, cause I was one of the loud contestants, they did a Christmas special that year and that year only. And I was flown to Finland where I mouthed the words

to Last Christmas by Wham. It's available on YouTube. And yes, so for me, it was a television appearance, but Blind Date was the show. When I was like, you know, 20 or whatever, we'd get ready to it on a television appearance, but Blind Date was the show. When I was like 20 or whatever, we'd get ready to it on a Saturday. And it's always been my dream to host a relationship show. Because I don't say this is a dating show,

I say this is a relationship show. So obviously these people are in, they've been in for a number of years. So there's a lot invested. There's no kids involved, we should say that as well. All these people are just there to try and see if they can work it out on their own between each other. I mean, going back, even though I know you say

dating versus relationship, going from Blind Date to now Chi, how do you think that kind of environment of these kind of reality TV shows have changed over that amount of time? Gosh, completely. If you look back at Blind Day and the cuteness of it and the sliding doors. Yeah.

It's so cute. It's nice. These days you'd be able to Google, Instagram, find out what they look like. I mean, the whole thing was you didn't know any of these people. And I just, I don't know if that format can even exist anymore because, okay,

you might not know them necessarily, but you'll find out all the history about them. And the papers used to love writing about the contestants each week, but now everything about everybody is everywhere, all of the time. So in that way it's changed. It was a lot more closed and sort of innocent

when you were doing Blind Date. Now you've got people who are, got banging bodies who are willing to be in bikinis in HD television. And do all kinds of things under blankets that I would die if that was me under a blanket and my mother was watching. I would die. I would just die. you know what I mean? So people are so much braver now. Yeah, brave is the word. Or outrageous or brave. Yeah, little bit of nerve in there. A lot of nerve, a lot of sass.

You just go, oh my gosh, they literally forget the cameras are there. We'll move on from Blind Date and looking at your own career, you've done so much. I mean, you was on EastEnders for a little bit. That was my first job at it. Was it? Yeah. Oh my gosh, one of my favorite shows

is the one you have with Alan and you renovate the houses. Oh, love it. That's just like pure joy. And then obviously Britain's got talent. There's just so much that you've done. And I think when what comes with that, with your success is often in Britain,

the tabloids are notorious. And on the show of Alan, you said that your fifties was your best decade. I wonder like, what does it take for you to stay empowered and confident? I think as the older you get, the less you care. Not about people, but about opinions from people that don't have a clue about you or know anything about you.

And I think, and this is really honest, one of the most empowering things that's happened to me was to getting a breakfast show. Being on heart breakfast every single morning in people's houses and having the right to reply and shut down or say anything I wanted at any time has been one of the best experiences of my life. So like anyone that's out to get me

or if I say I'm replacing like Cat Deeley the other week, it was like I'm on the spot, I just go, it ain't true. And I'm on the radio and I'm telling the truth. And so having that platform, as well as social media and all of those things has been like a game changer for me. A game changer. And I think people have seen a different side to me on the radio as well.

So. I would love to be able to just tell people to fuck off. Well, I do it in a friendly way because there's the school run. Amazingly I found a filter when I went started working on half breakfast. Do you have any, you mentioned like affirmations, do you have any like affirmations or advice you kind of live by that would be nice advice for like women coming up in the industry? Coming up in the industry, gosh,

just try not to take no for an answer. I've always been like that. I was never frightened to knock on people's doors. I was never frightened to do any kind of work experience. I've had a job since I was 13. I've made beds, I've pulled pints. I've done everything I possibly could. I was never worried about not working in the field I'm in

because I thought I'm always gonna make some money because I will work, I'll do anything and that'd be within reason. So I would say, yeah, don't take no for an answer and always have a plan B. And I think just as you grow up, I just try not to make my, I hate people that give up. I hate flaky people. I hate people that give up. I hate flaky people.

I hate people that are easily offended and I'm trying to bring my girls up to be strong and hardworking. I mean, they both have no interest in anything I do. It's stuff with me all the time. Really? Oh, not my eldest. No.

Do they listen to the radio every morning? Yes, but only because my husband puts it on in the car on the school run. Otherwise they just wouldn't. They just wouldn't and they hate it because I mention them a lot. In fact I dropped my daughter's boyfriend's name into the public arena. She was like, she's at uni, she's like, mommy, did get a mention this morning. I went, yeah, Anna mentioned his mom. At least she included his mom, maybe. The mom loved it. Oh my God. I think my mom would love it as well.

Shout out from Amanda. Oh, and that's the other thing. I love doing shout outs. Oh. You can always do if you've got a birthday or a friend's birthday. I love doing shout outs. Don't get me started. I could barely get through them.

I nearly cried doing the shout outs because I imagined the person in the car getting a shout out. Oh, an empath. I will never forget. This is such a stupid, I don't know why I'm telling you this story. I was on my hen night and I chose to have it in Norwich. I love Norfolk. Wait, sorry, sorry.

It's like the Vegas of England. What goes in Norwich stays in Norwich. Anyway, my girlfriend spoke to Teppanyaki Restaurant in Norwich and on the way on the coach, I don't know if it was Norwich FM or whatever, it was literally Alan Partridge, gave me a shout out on the radio. Didn't say, doesn't know it's me. Just said, oh my gosh, so Amanda is on the, and I was like that. Fucking joking. Oh my God, I Amanda is on the, and I was like that. I'm fucking joking.

Oh my God, I've got a shout out. Gosh, one of the best things ever, so I know how people feel when they get a shout out. I'm gonna message in tomorrow morning. Message in, get my number, message me personally. Oh my gosh. But then when I was in the Teppanyaki restaurant, I slipped on a raw egg and bruised my coccyx

and I was out for the rest of the night. Oh my God, no. I know, it was a disaster, but anyway. It was awful disaster but anyway. Carry on. What is the funniest almost bizarre rumor you've ever seen written about you that you've had to be like just laughable? I think well I mean this is an old one and I hate to bring it up but when I was going through a divorce my friend Jane Wall who is mixed race actress was living in my house we We were helping her. She was living there basically so she could save up for a mortgage. And it said

my then husband was being comforted by Diana Ross. So that was hilarious. Oh my god! I did not know where that story was going! I did not expect Diana Ross at the end of it. She loves to obviously! And we're still friends to this day. In Norfolk? She lives in LA. No, no, no. She was on the hen night. Oh my gosh. That's exactly it.

But there's been hundreds. Just in terms of your career, what is your rose, thorn and banana? I'll expand. Please do. So a banana is basically something that's weird and unexpected that happens that was like, wow, that's maybe changed

the trajectory of things. A rose is obviously like the peaks and then the thorn is like maybe a learning curve. Gosh. Well, I'd say banana was Britain's Got Talent because I was an actress to that point. And I think Simon obviously is famous that he asked Cheryl Cole to do it first,

she turned it down and then- Thank God she did. Well, but she's kicking herself. Yeah. I love Cheryl, bless her. I mean, she did go on to do X-Files. Oh no, of course, we got Best of Both Worlds. Yeah, see, and I think that was,

it was because I was in a drama called World at Heart. And it was one of was in a drama called World at Heart and it was one of those Sunday night dramas. And yeah, so Simon got me there to do that. And then from there, I have just seemed to turned into a host and presenter and I don't really act particularly anymore. Not really. The Thorn. I don't know if I had a thorn. I think so. That's OK. We can just move on to that. Good. Yeah. I don't feel if I have had a thorn. I think so.

That's okay. Or we can just move on to Rose. That's good. Yeah, I don't feel like I've had a thorn. That's good. And the Rose, I'm gonna say is now because I've had the best, like I've never, I mean, I said to you I had a job when I was 13,

but then when I left drama school at 21, I never then had a normal job after that. I have worked solidly till now, which is mental in the industry that I'm in. That's incredible. Yeah, it is mental. And all my girlfriends are very lucky as well. We're all friends and we all work.

It's all gonna go to itself. No, no, no, Rosie, that was very good. But I would say that last year just never stopped. And I know I'm here to talk about cheat, unfinished business. But when I was asked if I would host a relationship show on Netflix, I just thought, surely I've reached the top of Everest now

because this is all I've ever wanted. Because Netflix seems so out of our reach as British people. And slowly us Brits are trickling in. Obviously as we speak, adolescence is number one. And you just go, oh my god, this is unbelievable and I'm gonna be doing, I'm gonna be on my algorithm. Or maybe I won't be. Maybe I'm gonna be on my algorithm. Yeah. Maybe I won't be.

Maybe I'm not interested in anything I do. I can see it, I can see it. But you know when you just go gosh, it's an amazing thing. And then hosting the Royal Variety Show with Alan was amazing. And our series has just got commissioned again for a fourth series. And we wrote that ourselves. We came up with that. Love that.

More snaps for you I think. More snaps for Amanda. Gorgeous. We're actually going to move on to the last segment of our podcast. Okay. And play for you, I think. More snaps for Amanda. Woo! Gorgeous. We're actually going to move on to the last segment of our podcast. Okay. We're going to play a little game. Okay.

Which we like to call Brutal. So we're going to read out some... Brutal. Yes. Oh, okay. It's a little pun in there somewhere. Nice. We've got some submissions and we're going to rank them on a scale of one to ten on how

brutal we think they are and then maybe give some advice. Should we go? Yeah. Okay. so my boyfriend canceled our one year anniversary dinner on me because he had a family emergency with his nan. I went out two hours later and bumped into his sister. I said, I hope her nan's okay, but she didn't know what I was talking about.

Turns out he was out for one-on-one drinks with his female coworker that he insisted wasn't a problem and gaslit me into thinking I was just being jealous. Oh well you see that's horrific. That is brutal. First of all I was like no if it's your nan you've got to go. Absolutely. But no. Thoughts on work wives? Well obviously I'm safe with my work husband, my husband's safe anyway I don't know if you want to look at it. I think you can have friendships. I think you really can. I think it's really important to have friends on the opposite side, you know, that you don't fancy or... but that he's clearly a bad and... On a scale of one to ten. Oh, it's ten. That's horrific. Is that true? It's from our listeners.

They need to dump that person now. You're better than that. Okay, last one. My boyfriend of four years broke up with me because he found out I had used my skill of lucid dreaming to have sex dreams with celebrities. I really don't think this is cheating, but he says it's a conscious choice. It hurt my feelings and his, am I in the wrong? Crikey, I don't even know what that is. It's like when you can control your dreams. You can control your dreams. That's just stupid isn't it?

I mean that's just a bit of fun. I can't believe she told them. Why would you? It's a dream. I would always keep my lucid dream secret. That's a dream. Yeah. And that's a personal thing and it's a private thing.

And I think that you are allowed privacy within your relationship. And dreams. And dreams. I can't tell your husband, I mean I tell my husband everything, it's so boring for him. But yes, I think you can have privacy and I think that the boyfriend is overreacting. It's a bit of imagination isn't it? Yes. It's like daydreaming.

I feel like that's, he might be a little bit insecure so maybe within the relationship, this is what Paul would say, within the relationship, they should work on the trust and she should help him to feel a little bit more confident. That is the most perfect way to round up today's episode. Thank you so much. Thank you so much for coming. Shall we clink mugs? Thank you so much for having us. Thank you for having me on a podcast. Loved it.