Amanda Holden considers alternative Christmas gifts for her girls

Amanda Holden may be doing away with tradition this Christmas.

The Britain's Got Talent judge, 43, had animals on her mind as she presented an awards ceremony in London.

Speaking at the Animal Hero Awards, she told the Daily Mirror: "I was thinking I'd sponsor animals for Christmas presents this year for the girls."

The mother-of-two added: "They have lots of things, but they don't have a polar bear, or a giraffe."

Amanda presented the awards at London's Grosvenor House and joked that she felt like Lady Mary from Downton Abbey in her floor-length, pink dress.

"This awards ceremony is special because it's the only one that recognises that animals have such a massive part in our everyday life," she told the newspaper.

The awards recognise the most inspiring examples of bravery, dedication and resilience in the animal world.

Amanda, who is currently hosting This Morning, added: "These are animals who have done massive deeds and in some cases saved people's lives.

"It's when you hear about cruelty, where some of the animals have started their lives, that always pulls at my heart."

 

 

Patrick McLennan

Patrick McLennan is a London-based journalist and documentary maker who has worked as a writer, sub-editor, digital editor and TV producer in the UK and New Zealand. His CV includes spells as a news producer at the BBC and TVNZ, as well as web editor for Time Inc UK. He has produced TV news and entertainment features on personalities as diverse as Nick Cave, Tom Hardy, Clive James, Jodie Marsh and Kevin Bacon and he co-produced and directed The Ponds, which has screened in UK cinemas, BBC Four and is currently available on Netflix. 


An entertainment writer with a diverse taste in TV and film, he lists Seinfeld, The Sopranos, The Chase, The Thick of It and Detectorists among his favourite shows, but steers well clear of most sci-fi.