THEY say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery - in which case, Gwyneth Paltrow (actress, cookbook author and purveyor of bonkers lifestyle advice) ought to count herself thoroughly complimented.
Amanda Holden Picture: AP
For it seems that there is no look-at-me ruse she has attempted which Amanda Holden hasn’t then had a go at herself.
From preaching about the wonders of vegetarianism and going knickerless on the red carpet to posting boastful “no make-up selfies” and pious pictures of exercise, Britain’s Got Talent judge Holden, 45, seems to be copying the Paltrow formula.
It’s one that involves having plenty of front, and an insatiable appetite for the spotlight. At the launch of BGT on Wednesday, Holden wore a skintight white jumpsuit by Italian designer Ermanno Scervino.
It was highly reminiscent of Paltrow’s hair-raisingly awful nude Elie Saab jumpsuit, worn on a US chat show in 2015, which goes to show even fashion goddesses get it wrong.
Gwenyth Paltrow Picture: Reuters
Although Holden’s early days as a jobbing actress married to Les Dennis are a distant memory, she still has some way to go to catch Paltrow, 44, in the lifestyle stakes.
Divorced from Coldplay’s Chris Martin, Paltrow is said to be worth £48 million and has a huge house with stables in Los Angeles.
Holden is well-heeled, but not in the same league. She lives in a £3m house in Richmond, South-West London, with husband Chris Hughes, a record producer, and their two daughters and has weekend homes in the Cotswolds and Norfolk.
But, then again, Holden is nothing if not tenacious
Paltrow’s now infamous pale pink jumpsuit cost £1 000 (R16 000) and drew comparisons to a “naked mole-rat”. Holden’s take on the style - a £1 400 number - was equally jaw-dropping and possibly just a shade more flattering.
Paltrow spends two hours a day, six days a week working on her bottom, and credits celebrity trainer Tracy Anderson for her shape.
Paltrow has said: “I swear that, in 10 days, you will see your butt change shape.
“I do it with 1lb ankle weights and then I do her Dance Aerobics DVD. Some days, I hate it, some days I love it.” In an interview four years ago, she crowed that she had the rear of a 22-year-old stripper.
Holden is no less proud of her perky posterior.
She told Heat magazine: “My husband is so obsessed with my bottom he had a plaster cast made of it. It looks like a piece of art because they’ve sprayed it silver.”
Paltrow and her trainer Anderson, with whom she is a business partner, have been working out together since 2006. Paltrow says she works with Anderson in a bid to get a strong, compact body.
Meanwhile, Holden is a fan of Kundalini yoga (said to centre around female energy) and enjoys running. She is currently training for her role in the musical Stepping Out, which will premiere in a couple of months’ time, and builds her strength by sparring with boxing gloves.
Paltrow hit the front pages in an eye-catching Pucci dress and no knickers at the premiere of her film Country Strong in 2010. Holden wore a similar revealing white dress to a recording of BGT last year.
What is social media site Instagram if not the perfect way to spread the message that you look amazing in a bikini?
Gwyneth (1.8m, 60kg) has been drumming this home for years, and looked radiant in a Stella McCartney bikini.
Holden (1.2m, 54kg) was so pleased with herself that she turned cartwheels in hers.
Paltrow posted online her healthy breakfast of a softly boiled egg on a bed of avocado last year.
Last week, Holden Instagrammed a “monster breakfast” of scrambled eggs and avocado.
Paltrow hasn’t eaten red meat for two decades, promoting a “restorative” diet that cuts out coffee, alcohol, meat, fish, dairy, eggs, sugar, soy and processed food.
Holden has been a vegetarian since she was a teenager and recently posed naked for the animal rights pressure group Peta to show how wonderful she looks meat-free.
They are both fans of the cape - Paltrow first sporting a stunning white caped Tom Ford dress to the Oscars in 2012. Holden followed two years later with a similar number at the Britain’s Got Talent semi-finals - and decided to take the plunge, with a very revealing cleavage.
Paltrow chose a white tuxedo and shorts for the Iron Man premiere - all the better to show off her spectacular legs.
Holden again followed suit in 2014, wearing a playful combination of Zara shorts and a jacket by Victoria Beckham.
This phenomenon allows the subject to be praised for an apparent lack of vanity, while drawing attention to their natural beauty.
Paltrow has posted dozens over the years. Holden joined the party last February.
They have a shared interest in beauty regimes, although Holden is less high-maintenance.
Paltrow uses her Goop Exfoliating Instant Facial every day - at £100 a pot.
Both women are fans of the not-so-subtle reveal. Paltrow was in the vanguard of the side-boobs vogue, with Holden following suit at a Britain’s Got Talent party in the summer of 2013.
Holden has just picked up an adorable shih-tzu bichon frise cross puppy, called Buddy.
She already has Rudie, a border terrier. But, of course, Paltrow was there first, with a little Maltese puppy, called Daffodil. - Daily Mail