Denise's NEW YEAR PLAN

Dawn Neesom tells how the Loose Women star is looking at life beyond the show

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There are some Loose Women who are ending the year in a panic. There are some who are often in tears. There are some who are simply furious at the way they and the show's team have been treated. And then there's Denise Welch. A force of nature who makes the phoenix rising from the ashes look like an amateur. It's no secret that ITV's lunchtime flagship has been slashed to just 30 weeks a year and lost its live studio audience. The show goes into 2026 a shadow of its former self. The Women are less Loose and more Livid.

NO-NONSENSE

Denise has been a stalwart of the show for 20 years. Her down-to-earth, northeast common sense has made the 67-year-old a huge favourite with viewers. They also like the fact that the actor has never shied away from talking honestly about the ups and downs of life, from alcoholism to depression, marriage breakdown to menopause.

So you know that the end of Loose Women as we know it was never going to stop this one. Indeed, rather than sit around moping, she's filming three separate TV projects and writing a book!

TURNING THE PAGE

'I feel I'm entering a new chapter,' she says. 'After a very bumpy year mental illness-wise, I'm finally balanced and excited for what's to come. I have some lovely acting jobs, and am loving being back creating some fictitious drama rather than real-life drama for a change.'