
It would have been about 1995 when I found myself sat next to her at a business dinner. I formed such a high opinion of Holden by the end of the evening that I’ve followed her career with interest ever since.
I have long forgotten who our host was. The occasion was an England soccer international at Wembley where I was representing my newspaper on the press guest list. After the match we returned to a hospitality suite for a sit down meal.
According to Holden’s Wikipedia entry she had not long married comedian and actor Les Dennis at the time. He was the after-dinner entertainment. I don’t recall that Dennis sat with her – he was probably busy ‘circulating’ ahead of his routine.
Such was Holden’s radiant beauty that I immediately assumed (with more than a touch of jealousy) she was Dennis’s bimbo arm-candy. This impression was strengthened because she spoke nothing about herself preferring instead to talk about Dennis.
While the room was crowded, there was just the two of us at a large table for perhaps an hour. Out of politeness I felt obliged to question her even I though imagined her replies would be vacuous.
I was soon required to revise my initial prejudice. She was no air-head. I prised out of her that she had done some television work which she didn’t mind I hadn’t seen. This would have been a stint on Eastenders (Wikipedia again).
Perhaps she told me she was married to Dennis – perhaps she didn’t – but she said they lived in Highgate, a leafy area of North London, where my son was at school. This led to a discussion about families.
The evening sped by; Dennis’s spot went well and I guess everyone went home happy. I did.
None of this is spectacular. But I can honestly say after a working career in journalism in which the formal occasions I attended must run into the hundreds if not thousands, there is only a handful I would ever wish to repeat. My encounter with the lovely and gracious Amanda Holden is one of them. I regret her sad loss and wish her better.
No comments:
Post a comment
What do you think? GC