Amanda Holden has opened up about the secrets to keeping her long-term marriage alive. The Britain’s Got Talent judge and her husband Chris Hughes recently marked their 17th wedding anniversary after saying “I do” in Somerset back in 2008.
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While she has admitted that the pair don’t tend to swap presents on milestone moments, they show their appreciation for one another in different ways.
Discussing their “very controversial” formula for marital longevity, Amanda explained: “Everyone gets wrapped up with their children and their schedules and all the drama around your children when they’re growing up.
“But you have to remember that you and your husband were together first.”
The 54-year-old added to Closer Magazine: “You have to invest in that relationship in order that you continue to have a relationship for your children’s sake as well as your own.
“So, that is incredibly important. It is very controversial, but it’s also supported by research.”
Amanda and Chris have been an item for more than twenty years and share two daughters – Lexi, 19, and Hollie, 13.
The couple first crossed paths in 2003 in Los Angeles, after Amanda’s marriage to Les Dennis had ended.
Despite sharing a home as a family unit, the radio presenter has previously confessed they lead “separate lives”.
On Heart Radio, she revealed: “Our lives have been very separate for a long time because we’re both very busy.
“Obviously, we’re very happily married, but we do lots of things separately. I love my Peloton and running, he goes and plays squash.
“He’s got a massive career as well. We’re always separate, you know.”
In an effort to spend more time together, Amanda revealed her husband suggested they take up Badminton.
Speaking to listeners back in February, she shared: “We often play it in the summer in the back garden and with the kids.
“It’s such a good game, I’ve always loved it. We are going to be playing our first ever Badminton match tomorrow.
“I love a Badminton racket, because you can really whack that shuttlecock and I love the noise.”
This isn’t the first time the presenter has discussed her marriage publicly.
In a previous chat with OK! Magazine, she revealed that having a brilliant sense of humour was crucial for a lasting partnership.
She further gushed: “I really fancy Chris. We’ll be eating dinner in a restaurant, he’ll go to the loo, then I’ll look up and catch a glimpse of a man and think he’s fit! Then I’ll realise, ‘Gosh, that’s my husband!'”