In the theatre circles Amanda's actually well respected. Even the pickiest of musical critics loved her turn as Princess Fiona in Shrek when it first came to the West End, with lots of generous praise for her stage presence, comic timing and singing. I had never really noticed her up until that point but many of my friends who work in the West End, either in production or trying to make it on the stage, have all commented on how talented she actually is.
Personally I like Amanda because she seems to tell it like it is without feeling the need to overpraise everything.