Holden explains Wild At Heart exit

Wild At Heart star Amanda Holden has revealed that she quit the show for the sake of her family.

The actress - whose final scenes as Sarah will be seen on Sunday's episode - told the News Of The World she wanted her daughter Lexi to spend more time with her relatives.

"It's just got too much," she told the paper. "Lexi's two and she hasn't spent a summer in England yet. I can't take her away from her family any more."

It's not fair, especially on my mum, to be out of the country for six months again.

"Wild At Heart was a huge experience and I don't regret it for a minute, but I have to call it a day."

Holden - who demanded her character be written out in a way that would make it impossible for her to return, added that her fiance Chris Hughes was shocked at how close Lexi got to the wildlife while she was filming on location in South Africa.

"We've got pictures and videos of her stroking giraffes and playing with tiger cubs," she said. "Daddy's horrified because he doesn't know half the stuff we did."

"Lexi's a tough fearless baby and she'll have so much to look back on when she's grown up."