DENISE WELCH QUITS LOOSE WOMEN AFTER 25 YEARS ON PANEL

Denise Welch has announced her departure from the ITV daytime panel show Loose Women after 25 years of involvement. Welch joined the show as a guest in 2001 and became a permanent panelist in 2005. She left in 2013 following creative clashes with producers, but returned to the panel in 2018. In a statement on Instagram, Welch said acting had always been her first love and that she was pursuing new opportunities elsewhere.

Welch stated that Loose Women had been "part of mine and my family's life for well nearly a quarter of a century" and that she had received "the most wonderful opportunities" lately. She said she would "remain friends with the whole gang" despite reports suggesting otherwise. The exit comes as ITV's daytime programming has undergone significant changes, with Loose Women losing its studio audience and being reduced from a one-hour slot to 30 minutes following sustained budget cuts across ITV daytime shows including Lorraine and Good Morning Britain.

Carol McGiffin, another former Loose Women panelist, published criticism of the show following Welch's announcement. The departures reflect broader financial pressures on ITV's daytime schedule. Welch, who is also known for her role in Waterloo Road and is the mother of The 1975 frontman Matty Healy, has not specified when her final appearance on the show will air.