How Old is Les Dennis? Age, Wife, Kids & Career Update

Les Dennis, born 12 October 1953, has hosted Family Fortunes and survived a tabloid divorce in his 40s—a career longevity unmatched by most British quiz masters. At 71 in 2025, he continues commanding attention, most recently trading the Family Fortunes podium for the Strictly Come Dancing floor.

Born: 12 October 1953 · Age: 71 (as of 2025) · Real Name: Leslie Dennis Heseltine · Marriages: 3 · Children: 4

The following table consolidates the key biographical data available from reliable sources.

How old was Les Dennis when he married Amanda Holden?

Marriage timeline

Les Dennis married Amanda Holden in June 1995 at St. Andrew’s Church, Richmond Hill in Bournemouth, Dorset. At the time of their wedding, Les was approximately 41–42 years old, while Amanda was just 22. Their age gap of nearly two decades would become a recurring subject in tabloid coverage throughout their marriage.

The couple lived in Highgate during their time together. Their marriage encountered serious trouble in 2000 when Amanda’s affair with actor Neil Morrissey became public knowledge, leading to a temporary separation. According to accounts from Les himself, it was during this period that he first sensed the fractures in their relationship—reportedly, a plumber’s casual comment about “Kids, eh?” planted an early seed of doubt about whether they were on the same page about starting a family.

Age at wedding

When Les walked down the aisle with Amanda Holden in 1995, he was firmly established as one of Britain’s most recognizable TV hosts. Family Fortunes had been running since 1987, and Les had become synonymous with the role of genial quiz master. His bride, meanwhile, was at the very beginning of her entertainment career—she had first appeared on television as a contestant on Blind Date in 1991, and would not join Britain’s Got Talent as a judge until 2007, well after their divorce was finalized in 2003.

How many kids has Les Dennis got?

Children from marriages

Les Dennis has four children across his three marriages. Details about the specific children from each marriage vary in the public record, with the most consistently documented information appearing in sources covering his relationships and family life. The verified facts from research indicate he has children from his marriages, though precise birth dates and current ages for all four are not uniformly available across Tier 1 and Tier 2 sources.

What is clear is that Les has spoken publicly about the importance of family in his life, and his long marriage to third wife Claire Nicholson—who he wed in 2009—has provided stability after the more public end to his relationship with Amanda Holden.

Family details

While Les keeps details about his children relatively private compared to some celebrities, what emerges from public sources is a picture of a man who prioritized fatherhood alongside his career. His four children span what would have been marriages to different partners, reflecting the different chapters of his personal life.

Is Les Dennis still married to Claire Nicholson?

Current marital status

Yes, Les Dennis has been married to Claire Nicholson since 2009, and that marriage is ongoing. Unlike his highly publicized marriage to Amanda Holden, Les’s relationship with Claire has been kept deliberately out of the spotlight, reflecting his preference for privacy in his personal life following the tabloid coverage of his previous marriage.

Marriage duration

By 2025, Les and Claire would have been married for 16 years—a significantly longer stretch than his eight-year marriage to Amanda Holden. Their union represents the most stable and longest-lasting marriage in Les’s romantic history, having already surpassed the duration of both his earlier marriages combined.

What is Les Dennis’s real name?

Birth name

Les Dennis’s full birth name is Leslie Dennis Heseltine. Like many entertainers, he adopted a stage name early in his career, using his middle name Dennis as his professional moniker. The name Les Dennis has been his public identity since the 1970s, making it the name generations of British viewers have associated with Family Fortunes and other television appearances.

Stage name origin

Using a shortened form of a birth name is common among British entertainers, and Les’s choice to go by Dennis rather than Heseltine likely made his name more memorable and easier to announce on television. His career start in 1971 came before the era of social media scrutiny, when stage names were simply part of the entertainment industry’s standard practice.

What is the age difference between Les Dennis and his wife?

Claire Nicholson age

Claire Nicholson, Les Dennis’s third wife, is significantly younger than him, though precise details about her exact age are not widely documented in public sources. What is consistently reported is that she is considerably younger than Les, who was born in 1953. As of 2025, Les is 71 years old, which means Claire would be substantially younger given their 2009 marriage date.

Comparison

The age gap between Les and Claire mirrors patterns seen in his previous marriages. When he married Amanda Holden, she was 22 to his 42—a 20-year difference. His marriage to Claire, while the exact age gap is less publicized, appears to follow a similar dynamic of an older husband with a younger spouse. Unlike his marriage to Amanda, however, the age difference with Claire has not attracted significant media attention, perhaps because the couple has maintained such a low public profile.

Career Timeline

The following chronological table tracks the major milestones in Les Dennis’s broadcasting career.

Les Dennis’s broadcasting career spans more than five decades, with the Family Fortunes hosting gig serving as the defining chapter. The move to Strictly Come Dancing in 2024 represented a full-circle moment for a performer who first entered the entertainment industry in the 1970s—showing that even in his seventies, Les remained willing to try new formats and connect with fresh audiences.

Facts and Rumors

What People Have Said

“And the plumber went, ‘Kids, eh?’ Maybe I should have known then.”

— Les Dennis, reflecting on his marriage to Amanda Holden (Source: LADbible, 2019)

Amanda Holden has since spoken about the pain her affair caused Les Dennis, acknowledging the hurt she caused during their marriage. The couple divorced in 2003 after eight years together.

— Amanda Holden, as documented in biographical coverage (Source: Wikipedia)

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