Chris Hughes is a British musician and record producer married to British media personality and actress, Amanda Holden The couple has been married since 2008.
The 70 years old is also a guitarist and keyboardist who has been affiliated with many musical acts like ‘Adam and the Ants’ and ‘Tears for Fears.’ Hughes has enjoyed a very successful career but has spent most of his life away from the prying eyes of the public, preferring to share only what needs to be shared – his art.
Things, however, changed for the London-born music genius after he got together with Amanda, as he began to appear more interesting to the paparazzi. His marriage to Amanda Holmes was perhaps what they both needed to balance each other’s eccentricities out and with each passing public display of affection, you can’t help but be convinced that this might be the happy-ever-after that we all dream of.
Let’s find out more about the kind of man Chris is, and why Amanda remains so besotted, even after nearly fifteen years together.
Chris Hughes’ Profile Summary
- Full Name: Chris Merrick Hughes
- Nickname: Merrick
- Gender: Male
- Date of Birth: 3rd March 1954
- Chris Hughes’ Age: 70 Years Old
- Nationality: British
- Zodiac Sign: Pisces
- Sexual Orientation: Straight
- Marital Status: Married
- Chris Hughes’ Wife: Amanda Holden
- Chris Hughes’ Children: Two (Lexi and Hollie Hughes)
- Chris Hughes’ Father: Mike Hughes
- Chris Hughes’ Height in Inches: 6 feet
- Chris Hughes’ Height in Centimeters: 183 cm
- Famous For: Adam and the Ants, Everybody Wants to Rule the World, Songs from the Big Chair
- Net Worth: $25 million
- Facebook: @Chris Hughes
Chris Hughes Fell In Love With Music At An Early Age
The talented singer-songwriter and record producer was born somewhere in the London metropolis on the 3rd of March in 1954 to English lawyer Mike Hughes. As it stands, the identities of his mother and siblings have been carefully withheld from the public.
As a teenager, Chris was obsessed with classic popular bands like ‘The Beatles’ and ‘The Stones’ and spent a lot of time drumming in bands with his schoolmates. He also learned to play the guitar and piano at a very young age and his musical career took off immediately after high school.
He Has Made A Career Out Of His Passion
Mostly, Chris is known as a record producer and singer. His job as a record producer has seen him work with numerous artists across different musical genres, including Paul McCartney, Howard Jones, Jon Bon Jovi, Crybaby, Peter Gabriel, Robert Plant, Wang Chung, Propaganda, Sam Brooks, Susan Fassbender, Stackridge, and Tori Amos. Hughes began his career when he was still a teenager, having already acquired his first drum kit at 13.
Before long, he had become the main drummer for the rock band, Adams and the Ants. As a producer, Chris is regarded as one of the most established British artists in contemporary music as he had worked with a diverse number of genres, from pop (like Tears for Fears) to rock and to alternative music (Enya).
He has also made TV appearances alongside American singer/pianist Oleta Adams and the English pop-rock band known as Tears for Fears. His distinctive sound is described as a combination of war-like beats and soft pop sounds.
Chris Hughes is also a well-known songwriter having co-written hit songs like “Everybody Wants To Rule The World”, which sold over 8 million copies and counting. In 1973, he signed up to Virgin Records to learn the ropes of recording.
It was here that he decided to pay attention to the business of music, a decision that has paid off for the London-born music genius. His first collaboration as a producer featured Bates and Dalek on the electro-pop song, ‘Compass Kum-pas’, a futuristic jam that was widely believed to have changed the direction of pop music.
His evolution from drummer to producer to record executive should serve as a source of inspiration to anyone devoted to developing a music career without boundaries.
Is Amanda Holden’s Husband The Co-founder Of Facebook?
As impressed as Chris Hughes’ many talents have left us, he is not the co-founder of the Facebook app. Coincidentally, there is another Chris Hughes, born on November 26 1983, who has that profile but that is not the man Amanda Holden married.
It’s no surprise that the two are often mistaken for each other, given the fact that they bear the same name, however, their ages are a sure way of telling them apart as Chris Hughes the musician is 70 years old, while Chris Hughes the American entrepreneur and software engineer is only 40 years old.
Their ages aside, Chris Hughes of Facebook was born in Hickory, North Carolina, and is the only child of his parents, Arlen “Ray” Hughes and Brenda Hughes. He is also a graduate of Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts, and a holder of a Bachelor of Arts in History and English literature from Harvard College.
Amanda’s husband, on the other hand, was born in London, England, to a lawyer named Mike Hughes and a woman whose identity is unknown but is certainly not Brenda Hughes. He was educated at Emanuel School in London, and that’s all about his education that is known to the public.
Chris Hughes’ Wife Amanda Is A Media Personality and More
Amanda Louise Holden is one of those British media personalities who seem to have been on television for as long as one can remember. She is famously a judge on Britain’s Got Talent and a radio anchor on the Heart Breakfast show, which she co-hosts with Jamie Theakston. As an actress, Holden is also known for playing roles in several movies, including Thoroughly Modern Millie, Wild at Heart, Kiss Me Kate, EastEnders, and The Grimleys.
Her debut television appearance was in the 1991 game show, Blind Date. Amanda has also featured on the popular American CBS show, The Early Show as a guest presenter.
She is also a gossip columnist, a brand ambassador, an animal rights activist, and most recently, a recording artist. The British media personality is said to be worth over £4 million as of 2019.
How Did Chris Hughes and Amanda Holden Meet?
Apparently, Chris and Amanda first met in 2003 after a meeting in Los Angeles, but they didn’t begin dating until the following year. Meanwhile, before they became an item, Amanda was married to an English comedian named Les Dennis with whom she tied the knot in 1995.
Five years down the line, they had a temporary split following an affair she had with Men Behaving Badly actor Neil Morrissey. In 2001, they tried hard to see if they could revive their union but that didn’t work so they officially separated in 2002 and their divorce process was finalized in 2003.
Having returned to the singles club again, Amanda hit it off with Chris in 2004 and a few years later, precisely on the 10th of December 2008, they got married in a Christmas-themed wedding ceremony full of ivy, fake snow, and Christmas candles, at the St. Margaret’s Church in Somerset.
The reception was held at the nearby Babington House Hotel, a 5-star, exclusive, members-only club and hotel. Among the invited guests was former Formula One racer, David Coulthard, who was Hughes’ best man.
They Have Been Married For 15 Solid Years And Are Still Going Strong
Now, they have been married for over 13 years but it looks like the flames of passion are still burning as bright as ever. Speaking about her marriage in an interview with HELLO! in 2019, Amanda revealed what her relationship with her husband looks like, as well as his strengths and weaknesses, which has made their union stronger.
According to her, “Chris is very funny and errs on the side of lightness. We can make jokes out of any situation throughout the best and darkest times of our lives”.
She, however, disclosed that her prince charming is far from romantic, but he is there for the solid things such as keeping her car clean and ensuring that she relaxes. Going further, she also describes her husband as a proper bloke who looks after her. “I’m a strong, opinionated woman, but he helps steer the Mandy ship.”
In November 2021, 53-year-old Amanda spoke to the Mirror just a few days prior to their 13th wedding anniversary and gleefully admitted that she still fancied her husband, over a decade later. According to her, they’ll be eating dinner in a restaurant and her husband will go to the loo, then she’ll look up, catch a glimpse of a man and think, “he’s fit”, only to realize that that was her husband, “I still fancy him!”, she added.
The presenter also revealed the secret that has helped their marriage survive this long, saying that her husband, Chris, challenges her, and she also challenges him “and I think that’s the secret to a good marriage.” Continuing, Amanda remarked that her husband was her biggest and proudest champion, the fact that they are two entirely different people notwithstanding. She also stated that even though Chris was not a yes man, he always gives her his full support all the time.
Although they have two residential homes, Chris and Amanda currently live in Richmond-upon-Thames in a lavish Surrey home.
The Couple Are Proud Parents To Two Lovely Daughters
Since their marriage, the British married duo has tried very hard to increase the size of their family. They seem to have done pretty well to that effect, as they now have two daughters named Alexa Louise Florence Hughes (usually called Lexi) and Hollie Rose Hughes. 18-year-old Alexa was born in January 2006, two years before her parents got married while their second daughter, Hollie, was born in January 2011, amidst medical complications, and is 13 years old.
On a sadder note, the family has also experienced some painful loss with regard to childbearing. Before the birth of their second daughter, Amanda suffered one miscarriage in 2010, and in February of the following year, she had a stillbirth at seven months, losing her son whom they had already named Theo.
In February 2021, the media personality took to her Instagram page to mark the 10th anniversary of the sad incident. She paid tribute to her dead son by sharing a touching photo of his footprints which she captioned, “#Theo… our gorgeous little boy, you would have been 10 years old today… not a day goes by without thinking of you. [Blue heart].”
Amanda Holden Shares The Sad Stroy Of Their Son’s Stillbirth
Five months later, Amanda Holden opened up about the sad experience on the BBC’s Dear NHS Superstars special. According to her, she remembers waking up and thinking she had not felt her baby kick for a greater part of the night, which was unusual because he was always very active. She tried everything you are usually told to do in such situations but he was still not making any movement. “But I didn’t panic,” she added. However, as every sane mother would, she went to the hospital, Middlesex hospital precisely, where she was seen by her friend, a midwife named Jackie.
As fate would have it, an obstetrician was coming past at this time, and Jackie asked him to come in and check the baby’s heartbeat as she could not hear it. It was then confirmed that the baby had died in her womb. “And then I heard this guttural screaming,” Amanda said. It was the most bizarre thing that’s ever happened to me because it was me,” she added. She was so devastated that she lost control over herself and didn’t even know what she was doing, “I thought it was another person making the noise.”
In the midst of the chaos, she completely forgot that she still has to get the baby out. Subsequently, she chose to birth Theo via a C-section as she could not go through with labor. Just as the baby was about to come out, her husband, Chris, left the room, unable to bear the pain. After the baby was born, Amanda said she was so terrified that she insisted she could not hold a dead baby. Even after Jackie wrapped him up she remained adamant about holding him but eventually gave in after she (Jackie) told her that he was absolutely gorgeous and that she needed to see him.
Amanda went on to disclose that the child was later put into a little room where his body was preserved and they could go and see him as much or as little as they wanted. The actress was then told that she could take some keepsakes of Theo home to remind themselves of him forever. Consequently, they got his footprints, the blanket he was born in, and a little of his hair.
