Loose Women’s Denise Welch recounts starving herself for three weeks before collapsing and pulling out of show during horror health battle

Loose Women's Denise Welch recounts starving herself for three weeks before collapsing and pulling out of show during horror health battle

As I delve into Denise Welch‘s heartfelt narrative, I can’t help but feel a profound sense of empathy and admiration for her resilience. Her journey with clinical depression is not just a personal battle, but a beacon of awareness and understanding for mental health issues that so many people face today.


Denise Welch, a well-known personality on Loose Women, shared her harrowing health ordeal that nearly caused her to faint and made her withdraw from a performance about two decades back.

On the latest episode of the ITV daytime program, broadcasted on Friday, the 66-year-old television figure had the courage to share a harrowing experience from their past.

Her admission came as the panellists were discussing Simone Biles’ Olympic victory in the 2024 competition, following her withdrawal from the Tokyo 2020 Olympics due to mental health reasons.

While discussing the significance of self-autonomy in their conversation, Denise chose to disclose her personal narrative instead.

She started off by expressing: ‘This week, we’ll be sharing some inspiring tales, similar to those of Simone Biles and Adam Peaty. These remarkable individuals have battled through mental health challenges only to return stronger, and it’s truly amazing.’

Loose Women's Denise Welch recounts starving herself for three weeks before collapsing and pulling out of show during horror health battle

Loose Women's Denise Welch recounts starving herself for three weeks before collapsing and pulling out of show during horror health battle

As a lifestyle expert, I firmly believe that our perspective often determines whether we thrive as survivors or find ourselves in the role of victims. However, it’s crucial to remember and acknowledge that not everyone has the ability or resources to bounce back from difficult situations, and they should never feel guilty or less for this reality.

Reflecting on her past experience, she shared: “Exactly one time in all the 35 years I battled with mental health issues, I decided to step back from a performance.”

In 2004, a personal crisis forced me to withdraw from a panto production as I suffered a mental breakdown and fainted. I hadn’t eaten for twenty-one days at that point. Despite my desire to rejoin the cast, my health wouldn’t allow it.

The Loose Women panellist has long been open about her more than 30-year battle with depression.

In April, Denise responded on social media to someone who had been critical about her frequent discussions on the topic.

The viewer tweeted: ‘STOP THE FRONT PAGE, DENISE IS TALKING ABOUT HER MENTAL HEALTH AND DEPRESSION! This has NEVER happened before. #LooseWomen #Denise.’ 

In response to Harry’s tweet, Denise stated: “Thank you, Harry. I’ve been discussing this topic for 35 years when nobody in the spotlight had even touched on it before. Rest assured, I won’t stop until I’m gone, so keep an eye out!”

“Sharing experiences of being hospitalized following a depressive episode could be something you might feel comfortable discussing as well!” (Four thumbs up emojis were replaced with exclamation marks or smiley faces for better readability.)

Loose Women's Denise Welch recounts starving herself for three weeks before collapsing and pulling out of show during horror health battle
Loose Women's Denise Welch recounts starving herself for three weeks before collapsing and pulling out of show during horror health battle

It was Denise being questioned about finding it offensive when referred to as ’emotional worker’ that prompted the troll’s tweet.

She understood the difficulties that bosses might face when managing businesses, given how challenging it could be to navigate issues where people might take offense.

Nevertheless, Denise added a disclaimer for individuals suffering from illnesses: “I believe, particularly when it comes to mental health concerns, it can be quite distinct. And I recall one instance…”

For nearly four decades, I’ve been dealing with the challenges of clinical depression, an ongoing battle that many are aware of due to my open discussions about it over the years. This is indeed a severe form of mental health issue.

‘I had to quit just one job due to clinical depression, and that was the panto role in Stockport during 2004.’

She explained that she was criticised when she collapsed from the illness but her colleague with a broken arm was praised.

As a fervent admirer, let me share my insights: I’ve been captivated by the stark contrast I’ve observed between how society tends to treat mental and physical ailments. Denise brilliantly underscores this divide using her unique perspective.

As a long-time admirer of the enchanting world of theater, I can hardly contain my excitement as I share this thrilling news with fellow enthusiasts like myself: This Christmas season, I am beyond elated to announce that I shall be stepping back onto the pantomime stage once more, donning the iconic pirate garb and embracing the infamous persona of Captain Hook in the timeless tale of Peter Pan at the prestigious Theatre Royal in Nottingham.

She becomes part of an illustrious acting ensemble featuring TV style guru Gok Wan, humorist Paul (Chuckle), and stand-up ventriloquist Steve Hewlett.

Right after the TV personality disclosed that she felt mortified, it emerged that scammers had swindled £2,000 from her account, using a heartless ruse to deceive her.

Loose Women's Denise Welch recounts starving herself for three weeks before collapsing and pulling out of show during horror health battle

On Monday, Denise shared her experience of falling victim to a phone scam during an interview on Good Morning Britain. She strongly cautioned ITV audience members against repeating her mistake.

The popular television personality admitted that she had been tricked out of a significant amount of money, as she believed she was speaking with Barclays’ anti-fraud team on the phone, when in fact it was just an imitator pretending to be them.

In conversation with hosts Ranvir Singh and Ed Balls, Denise shared that when the phone call arrived, she was engrossed in other activities. Upon seeing the display, Barclays was showing as the caller, she assumed it was a genuine call and felt the need to address the matter promptly.

In the not-so-distant past, before the pandemic era took hold, I found myself immersed in the preparations for Calendar Girls: The Musical. One of the show’s rules was to keep our eyes off our phones during rehearsals and avoid personal calls. However, the allure of a call from Barclays proved too strong for us all, and we couldn’t help but sneak a peek at our devices.

Overwhelmed by excitement, I stepped outside for a moment when my phone rang. The voice on the other end sent a chill down my spine: “It’s the Fraud Squad.” They explained that suspicious activities were detected on my beloved card, and they were determined to nip any potential fraud in the bud.

As a seasoned banking customer with years of experience under my belt, I had no inkling of doubt when a call from what appeared to be Barclays popped up on my phone screen. With countless interactions with various financial institutions over the years, I’ve learned to recognize the telltale signs that indicate I’m speaking with the fraud department of my bank. The familiar name and logo of Barclays were all it took for me to know that this was a legitimate call.

It took her until the fifth phone call to realize she had made a big mistake, as she then confessed that he had deceived her.

She shared that she had conversations with an individual named Michael. He made a good impression on her and they spoke for approximately four phone calls, during which she provided all the necessary details as expected.

I promptly provided all personal details such as my full name, birthday, home address along with the postal code, and my mother’s last name before marriage – without a second thought, as it came from Barclays.

Over approximately four conversations, Michael evolved into my closest friend, explaining that the process was taking longer due to the fact that this fraud might prove to be larger than initially anticipated.

In my expertise, I’d like to emphasize the importance of being vigilant when it comes to your personal information. When I found myself in a similar situation and received that fifth call, they politely requested my four-digit PIN. Now, hindsight is 20/20, but I should have been more cautious and questioned the authenticity of the request. So, remember folks, always prioritize your security!

As a seasoned banking customer with years of experience under my belt, I have always been cautious about sharing sensitive information like my pin number. However, during a recent conversation with the fraud department at Barclays, I found myself inadvertently disclosing this critical piece of information. The next day, I shared the incident casually with my husband over dinner, not realizing the gravity of my mistake. To say he was upset would be an understatement; he went “absolutely spare,” as the British might put it. This experience serves as a stark reminder for me to exercise greater caution and vigilance when dealing with financial institutions, especially in today’s increasingly complex digital world.

From personal experience, I can attest that having my credit card cloned was a harrowing ordeal. One day, I found myself staring at my bank statement, bewildered as I saw over £2k missing from my account. It took me a while to realize what had happened – someone had managed to clone my credit card and make unauthorized transactions without my knowledge. The experience was a stark reminder of the importance of vigilance when it comes to financial security. Since then, I’ve made sure to regularly monitor my accounts and take extra precautions to protect myself from such incidents.

If I were home instead of at work, perhaps the incident wouldn’t have occurred. But since I was at work, I wished someone would handle it promptly. I felt rather awkward about the whole situation.

If you need private assistance, reach out to the Samaritans by dialing 116123, or pay them a visit at your nearby Samaritans center. For more information about their locations, check out their website: www.samaritans.org.

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2024-08-02 18:10

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