Denise: 'IT'S THE BEST THING I EVER DID'

We chat to Denise Welch about sobriety, leaving Loose Women and her rock star son

- JULIE ANN

 

She’s no stranger to the small screen, with roles in the likes of Coronation Street, Waterloo Road and Soldier Soldier under her belt. Yet many of you will likely know Denise Welch as a Loose Women stalwart these days, where she has been a regular panellist since 2005.

However, it hasn’t always been a bed of roses for the Geordie actor, 64, who has bravely battled alcohol and depression issues in the past. The former Celebrity Big Brother contestant is now over a decade sober and hasn’t had a depressive bout in three years. Here, the TV star tells us why she’s considering returning to the stage, about the perks of being a rock star mum and why, unlike so many others, she doesn’t feel the need to renew her wedding vows.

Hi Denise, great to see you! Congratulations on 11 years of sobriety. What advice would you give to other people wanting to quit alcohol?

I’m not the drink police – I’m really not, and if you can drink and it doesn’t cause unhappiness, despair and upset to the people who love you, then crack on. If it does – you’ve got a problem. And [giving up] is the best thing my husband and I ever did. Now we’re free from the shackles of it, and so are my family.