Actress Amanda Holden has said she owes a lot to Simon Cowell for helping revive her reputation with a spot on Britain's Got Talent.
The actress had been labelled a marriage wrecker after having a fling with Neil Morrissey while she was still married to Les Dennis - but admitted that the judge's role on the show had changed the public's perception of her.
"I owe Simon a debt for that - or he keeps telling me I do!" Amanda admitted.
"Before that, I had a huge drama career. I was doing Wild At Heart, so I was getting back into the fold of not being a threatening woman, which is how I'd been perceived.
But being on national television on Britain's Got Talent, being able to be me, then people could really judge me. Not everyone's going to like me, but at least they can see me and not just read about me."
The 42-year-old - who has two daughters with current husband Chris Hughes - also spoke of her time with Les.
"We were together for 10 years. When I saw him do really well on MasterChef, I was thrilled, and I'm thrilled for him that he's happily married with two gorgeous children."
She added: "He's with people who cherish him and who are right for him. We were just not right for each other."
Amanda also pointed out that the public's view of her in the wake of her affair - might have been very different if she had not been a woman.
"The thing that angers me is that, if I was a man, it (the bad image) would have all ended years ago," she said.
I'm not like this slapper, I haven't put it about. I was engaged twice. I was a relationship girl."
Amanda Holden's autobiography No Holding Back is published by Simon & Schuster, priced £18.99.
