Amanda Holden threw her support behind England ahead of the Three Lions’ opening World Cup match as she arrived at the Heart Radio studios wearing the national team’s full football kit — completed with a pair of towering white stilettos.
The television and radio presenter, 55, proved that football shirts and high fashion can mix as she modelled England’s official 2026 Nike kit during Wednesday morning’s edition of Heart Breakfast.
Amanda added her trademark glamorous twist to the sporty ensemble by swapping football boots for killer heels while posing confidently for a series of tournament-themed photographs.
She was joined by her Heart co-presenters Jamie Theakston and Ashley Roberts as excitement built ahead of England’s opening Group L fixture against Croatia in Texas.
Amanda wore the white England shirt with matching shorts and socks, proudly displaying the Three Lions badge as she smiled and waved a St George’s flag.
The presenter appeared fully prepared for the tournament atmosphere, although her immaculate stilettos made it unlikely that she would be stepping onto the pitch herself.
Heart shared photographs from the studio on Instagram alongside the hopeful declaration: “It’s coming home!”
The famous phrase has become a rallying cry for England supporters during major international tournaments, although the men’s national team has not lifted the World Cup since its historic triumph in 1966.
Amanda has long been an enthusiastic supporter of England and has previously worn national-team shirts to celebrate major football competitions.
At club level, the Britain’s Got Talent judge is a lifelong Everton supporter.
She has regularly spoken about her love for the Merseyside club and has been pictured wearing Everton colours on several occasions.
Wednesday’s display, however, was entirely focused on England as Thomas Tuchel’s team prepared to begin its attempt to end nearly six decades of World Cup disappointment.
The Three Lions were due to face Croatia in Arlington, Texas, in what was expected to be a demanding first match.
Croatia entered the tournament ranked 11th in the world and has previously caused England considerable heartbreak.
The Croatian side famously defeated England in the semi-final of the 2018 World Cup in Russia, ending Gareth Southgate’s team’s unexpected run towards the final.
That painful defeat remains firmly in the memory of supporters, adding another layer of tension to the opening Group L encounter.
Amanda was not the only Heart presenter embracing the World Cup theme.
Ashley Roberts, 44, initially showed her loyalty to the United States by posing in the American national team’s football kit.
The former Pussycat Dolls singer was born in Arizona and proudly represented her homeland as she joined Amanda for the playful studio photoshoot.
Like Amanda, Ashley paired her football uniform with glamorous footwear, choosing a pair of white Christian Louboutin heels.
The two presenters posed side by side in their rival national colours, turning the Heart studios into a stylish celebration of the expanded international tournament.
Ashley later demonstrated her divided loyalties by changing into an England shirt and waving the national flag.
The singer has lived in Britain for approximately 14 years and has built a successful broadcasting and entertainment career in the country.
Her wardrobe change suggested that while the United States remains her home team, she is also willing to support England during the competition.
Jamie Theakston completed the trio by dressing as an England goalkeeper.
His outfit also served as a reference to his past appearances at Soccer Aid, the annual charity football match featuring celebrities and former professional players.
Together, the presenters recreated the excitement surrounding the opening match as millions of supporters prepared to watch England begin its campaign.
For Amanda, the patriotic photoshoot provided another opportunity to combine her love of football with the eye-catching fashion choices for which she has become known.
The presenter frequently attracts attention with her glamorous outfits while arriving at Heart Radio’s central London studios.
She has previously worn everything from elegant designer dresses to dramatic seasonal costumes during her morning broadcasts.
Her England kit and stilettos combination was perfectly in keeping with her playful style, transforming practical sportswear into a polished showbusiness look.
The photographs arrived as captain Harry Kane urged his England teammates to approach the tournament without fear.
Kane said he felt calmer than ever ahead of the competition after several members of the squad enjoyed trophy-winning seasons with their clubs.
England has reached the latter stages of several recent major tournaments but has repeatedly fallen painfully short of lifting a trophy.
The team reached the World Cup semi-final in 2018 before suffering defeat against Croatia.
It subsequently reached consecutive European Championship finals, only to lose to Italy and Spain.
Those near misses have created enormous expectations around another talented generation of England players.
However, Kane believes the squad must avoid becoming trapped by the fear of failure.
The striker said the only lasting regrets from major tournaments come when players feel that they did not fully express themselves or give everything possible.
“I think the only regrets you can have coming away from tournaments is that you didn’t go for it,” Kane said.
“You can make mistakes, you can miss penalties like I’ve missed, but I don’t think those are the moments that stop you from sleeping at night.”
Kane knows the pain of a decisive mistake better than most after missing a penalty during England’s quarter-final defeat to France at the 2022 World Cup.
Yet he suggested that individual errors are easier to accept than leaving the tournament believing the team played too cautiously.
“I think it’s the ones where you feel like you could have given more, you feel like you could have been a bit more free, you could have just gone for it,” he explained.
The England captain insisted he would rather see the team lose while showing ambition than be eliminated after failing to demonstrate its full ability.
“Because when you lose, you lose anyway,” Kane said.
“It doesn’t matter how you lose, it’s the same result. I’d rather lose giving it everything, showing my best abilities, whether you make mistakes or not.”
He added that his central message to the squad was to play freely and refuse to become frightened of the final outcome.
“The message is just to be free and don’t be afraid of any outcome, and we’ll have a great chance,” he said.
Tuchel’s appointment has added another intriguing dimension to England’s World Cup challenge.
The German coach entered the tournament knowing that anything short of a deep run would attract intense scrutiny.
His squad carries the hopes of a nation desperate to see the men’s team finally match the achievements of England’s legendary 1966 side.
Beginning against Croatia ensures there will be no gentle introduction to the tournament.
The fixture provides England with an immediate opportunity to demonstrate whether it has developed the confidence and resilience needed to compete for the trophy.
For supporters, Wednesday’s opening match represents the beginning of another emotional journey filled with hope, nerves and inevitable debate.
Amanda’s patriotic display captured the lighter side of that excitement before the serious business began on the pitch.
Her decision to wear the full kit showed that she was prepared to embrace every part of the occasion.
The white stilettos, however, ensured there was no mistaking her personal contribution to the outfit.
Alongside Ashley’s transatlantic show of support and Jamie’s goalkeeper transformation, Amanda brought World Cup fever into the Heart studio before many listeners had even started their working day.
Whether England can truly bring the trophy home remains to be seen.
But as Amanda confidently posed in the Three Lions badge and her most impractical football footwear, she made one thing clear: England’s World Cup campaign had officially begun — and she intended to support it in unmistakably glamorous style.
