Amanda Holden Biography
Famous British actress, television presenter and ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ judge Amanda Louise Holden goes by the screen name Amanda Holden and was born on Feb 16th 1971 in Bishop’s Waltham, Hampshire, England, UK. Raised in London, England by her parents Leslie Collister and Judith Collister, Amanda quickly developed an interest in theatre and attended the Mountview Theatre School and previously the Jellicoe Theatre in Poole, England. Coming from a poor family she had to take up odd jobs in London in order to support herself through college. At one point Amanda worked in a shoe shop in London and had to get her education through government-paid sponsorship.
At 17 years old and freshly graduated from school Amanda auditioned for various roles in films without any luck. After numerous attempts she got a spot in the popular musical film titled ‘The Sound of Music’. The film’s success as a family favourite was her first step towards stardom. Her previous roles in minor shows like ‘Wild At Heart’ and ‘Wild Heart’ had only won her credible praise but it was not enough for the young actress.
Her role as Carmen in the 1994 television series ‘ The Eastenders’ and her portrayal of Leisl Von Trapp in ‘ The Sound of Music’ gained her fame with television producers and she was called to present in top UK television shows on BBC TV, Channel 5 TV and Carlton TV. It was during this time that Amanda’s career took a turn to include television hosting and presenting. Amanda’s exceptional performance on ‘ Eastenders’ also won her a nomination for Best Actress in a Musical during the Laurence Olivier Theatre Award in 2004 but she did not win.
In 2007 Amanda made her debut screen appearance yet in the popular UK reality talent show ‘Britain’s Got Talent’. The television series aired not only in the UK but went on to air in other countries like US. Her popularity as a strong presenter and woman quickly spread all over the world with the popularity of the US sister show ‘America’s Got Talent’.
The actress’ has numerous appearances on films and television series like ‘Hearts and Bones’ , ‘The Grimleys’, ‘ Kiss me Kate’, ‘ Jonathan Creek’ and ‘Virtual Sexuality’.
Being a vegetarian, Amanda is an animal rights activist and does not believe in the hunting wild animals for pleasure or the use of animal products in the making of fashion clothing and accessories.
Amanda has campaigned for breast cancer awareness and she remains vocal on issues of women dealing with the disease through online sites and events to raise funds for the cure of the disease. She is an avid football fan, she self-claimed lifetime supporter of English club Everton and makes an effort to attend most of her favourite team’s matches.
The mother of one draws inspiration from actress Angie Blackford. Apart from being one of Britain’s favourite celebrities she is listed as one of Forbes Magazine’s richest television personality and she has amassed millions of dollars from her appearance as a judge on the four seasons‘ Britain’s Got Talent’.
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