Amanda Holden broke lockdown rules by travelling more than 200 miles to see her parents in Cornwall.

The Britain’s Got Talent judge said she made the journey after receiving a “distressing telephone call from her elderly father on Friday afternoon”.

In a statement, her agent added: “Amanda is aware that all families are going through difficulty during these turbulent times.

“On balance Amanda felt the round trip to Cornwall was necessary to contain the matter at her family home.”

The agent added that Holden was “devastated” that she had to break the travel rules on this occasion, but stressed the star “did not act on a whim and has adhered to COVID rules every step of the way in all three lockdowns”.

Both of her parents have been vaccinated and she is being tested for coronavirus once a week, so she “felt she was not putting her parents at risk”.

The Sun reports that the 49-year-old, who is now back in London ahead of her 50th birthday on Tuesday, has been reported to the police over the journey.

Britain’s Got Talent will not take place in 2021, with ITV cancelling the show in order to safeguard “the wellbeing and health of every person involved in the programme”.