Amanda Holden has proudly asserted her place as part of the “Cotswolds family,” revealing that she and her husband Chris Hughes have owned their countryside home for nearly two decades. Speaking on the surge of celebrities moving to the Cotswolds—including the likes of the Beckhams, Simon Cowell, Ellen DeGeneres, Beyoncé, and Jay-Z—Amanda emphasized that her connection to the area long predates this recent influx.
Addressing fellow resident and former Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson’s potential frustration with celebrity newcomers, Amanda confidently remarked that “Jeremy Clarkson can’t moan about me,” given her deep-rooted ties to the region. She noted, “I’ve been there nearly 20 years—my grandparents were from that area—before the Beckhams and Beyoncé made it trendy. We wanted a weekend retreat, and it’s turned out to be a wonderful investment.”
Clarkson, who owns Diddly Squat Farm in nearby Chadlington since 2008, has previously downplayed the notion that celebrities are taking over the Cotswolds. In a TikTok clip shared by Yahoo News, he said, “Everybody says the Cotswolds is being taken over by celebrities and you just think, I don’t see them. I look out of my window in the morning — you don’t see them. OK, they have got a house five miles away. It is like saying Fulham is being taken over.” Clarkson reassured fans that the area remains charming and unspoiled, adding, “We’re very, very lucky to live there.”
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While Jeremy Clarkson remains somewhat reclusive within the community, Amanda noted her close relationship with fellow Britain’s Got Talent judge Simon Cowell, who recently settled in West Oxfordshire with his fiancée Lauren Silverman and their son Eric. Amanda shared, “I see him quite a lot, and our children get on well. Eric and Hollie are good friends,” highlighting the close-knit nature of their neighbourly bonds amidst the star-studded landscape.