Amanda Holden strips off for racy painting for new Sky TV show as artist says ‘fun and relaxed’ presenter was ‘a natural’

Amanda Holden has revealed she stripped off for a racy painting while filming new TV show Sex: A Bonkers History.

The presenter, 52, explores how attitudes to sex and sexuality have evolved on the Sky History program with historian Dan Jones.

Artist Francesca Currie said Amanda was ‘fun and relaxed’ and was ‘a natural’ model as she posed nude for the artwork.

A behind-the-scenes look will be shown during an episode of the series, but the Britain’s Got Talent judge explained that the portrait is for her husband’s eyes only.

Francesca worked for six weeks on the painting that Amanda gave to her husband Chris Hughes.

Racy: Artist Francesca Currie said ‘fun and relaxed’ Amanda was ‘a natural’ model as she posed nude for the artwork

‘It was just for Chris. He loved it!’ she exclaimed.

Francesca recalled, “Amanda was fun to work with. She is a natural model and she looked fantastic.

‘To me it was just a painting. I only see the person sitting in front of me.’

It comes after Amanda said she thinks Britain is going backwards rather than forwards when it comes to its perception of sex.

In a question and answer session at a screening ahead of the show’s launch, Amanda said she felt like there used to be “more freedoms and less judgement.”

She said that despite society thinking we have come a long way, people are still “afraid to talk about many things.”

She explained, “Personally, I feel like even though we think we’re moving forward, I feel like we’re going backwards.

“I think when people say it’s starting conversations, it’s actually shutting them down because I think a lot of people are afraid to talk about every aspect of everything.”

A behind-the-scenes look will be shown during an episode of the series, but the Britain’s Got Talent judge explained that the portrait is for her husband’s eyes only.

Talent: Francesca recalls: ‘Amanda was fun to work with. She is a natural model and she looked fantastic.”

Present: She worked for six weeks on the painting that Amanda gave to her husband Chris Hughes

Amanda continued, “There is so much to celebrate right now, so much. And yet, when you look back, you see that obviously there’s all the politics, everything else in all the other eras that we didn’t talk about.

‘But I think there were a lot more freedoms and less judgment then than there are now. This is just a wheel that keeps turning.

“I think the biggest lesson we’ve learned from this is that we’re just on the same wheel and we’re going to go to the next bit, and then to the next bit.

“So every time we think we’ve moved forward, we’re always going to take a step back, and that’s true of absolutely every era we’ve covered.”

Discussing the show, Amanda revealed she was so dedicated that she tried on a toga during one of the coldest months of the year.

She recalled: ‘I really enjoyed learning about the Spartans in person and the crazy outfits…at Crystal Palace.

‘They told me it would be somewhere much more exotic. One of the main reasons I took the gig was because they took me to Crystal Palace!’

She complained, “It was November that I put on that gown! From ASOS!’

Having her say: It comes after Amanda said she thinks Britain is going backwards rather than forwards when it comes to its perception of sex

Saucy: Dan and Amanda will explore how attitudes towards sex and sexuality have evolved from the origins of the first contraceptive in ancient Egypt to swinging in 1970s Britain

Her co-host Dan told Televisual about the variety of topics covered in the show.

He said: ‘Sex is the one thing we know for certain that people have done throughout history.

‘It’s a fascinating way to romp through the millennia, from the ancient Egyptians to swingers in the 1970s, and to the wonders of the digital age we live in today.’

He even spoke highly of his co-host: ‘Amanda is a dream presenter – she has a great laugh.’