TV presenter and Britain's Got Talent judge Amanda Holden talks to us about life with her daughters Lexi, six and a half (apparently she's very particular about the half!), and Hollie, eight months.
How do the girls get on?
They are the best of friends. They just love each other. The other morning I heard Hollie giggling. I went into her room and she was out of her cot and in with Lexi!
Lexi had even changed her - poo filled - nappy! She just adores helping out. Right after Hollie was born, my mum came to stay and had changed Lexi's nappy, and Hollie said 'no nanny, the nappy is on the wrong way around!' and you know what? She was right!
Is Lexi a girlie girl?
Incredibly! She loves pink and purple, and also likes black, but I think that's because she thinks it's grown up. She was never into dolls and prams, but loves her Disney princesses. She plays with our iPad but I'm pleased to say she's not addicted to technology. There are so many products around for kids nowadays, and I know it's a part of life but I'm old fashioned. She loves being outdoors which I'm very pleased about.
You're bringing up two girls, what are your thoughts on things like Toddlers and Tiaras?
I've watched it with Lexi when we've been in America and we find it hilarious! But I see it as entertainment and, rightly or wrongly, don't actually think about the little girls on the show. They just seem to be having a blast. Lexi is so alarmed by the glitter and tan that I know she would never want to be like that, luckily!
How has life changed since your family of three became four with the arrival of Hollie? (Amanda suffered a massive haemorrhage and her heart stopped for 40 seconds after Hollie's birth).
We were the three musketeers and now we're the four. It feels complete and meant to be, and it's like she was never not here and in our life. My children are a joy and bring so much happiness to us all. Hollie makes me, quite literally, grateful to be alive.
PA
You're fronting a campaign with Pampers and UNICEF for the fight against maternal and newborn tetanus (MNT). How can parents help?
For every specially marked pack of Pampers bought, or photo of you and your baby uploaded to the Facebook page, Pampers will donate the cost of a vaccine to help support UNICEF in the fight against MNT. When I heard about the campaign it was a no brainer for me, I really wanted to get involved.
Knowing that by putting a nappy on your baby, you are saving another somewhere in the world is fantastic.
I had such a blast on the photo shoot with Hollie and the other babies - she was a pro! Straight down the camera. A professional.
What's your favourite thing about being a mum?
I love the girls' imagination, the questions Lexi asks, seeing them grow and laughing with them all the time.
What do you find the most challenging?
Finding the answers to all her tricky questions! I also sometimes find it hard not to snap.
I can tell my husband Chris to bugger off but children take patience.
You returned to the Britain's Got Talent judging panel two weeks after Hollie's dramatic arrival, how did you find that?
I faced a lot of criticism, but what people don't realise is that Britain's Got Talent is 10 days of my life, and Hollie was with me when I was filming. I think a lot of mums, given the chance, would do what I do - work hard and then have time off. I went back to work because I could - I had survived, I had given birth to Hollie and was proving to my children I was alive, well and that I could do it. That's normal in my family.
Do you find there is a lot of pressure being a mum in the public eye, with everyone wading in and having their say?
I stay out of it.
I know what I'm doing and know I do the best for my children.
A lot of what people were writing about me when I went back to work were things they wouldn't dare say to my face, so I just get on with things. It's everyone else's problem, not mine.
You've had lots of ups and downs as a mum (Amanda lost a baby seven months into her pregnancy before giving birth to Hollie), what's your advice to other mums and dads who have been through similar experiences?
If there is medically no reason why you can't, you must try again for another baby. If you are meant to have a child, you will have one. It sounds cheesy but I really believe you have to trust in the universe, trust in each other, and be strong. Don't look back, focus on positivity no matter what life throws at you.
Is your family complete?
Absolutely. My family feels 100VIRTUAL-Gallery-131418VIRTUAL-SkimlinksPromo%