‘it’s the best thing i ever did’

Denise

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.

You and Lincoln [Townley] have your 10th wedding anniversary this July. Would you consider renewing your wedding vows like so many other celebrities are doing right now?

Are they? Well, that’s amazing, but no. I just think the original vows we made we still keep, so it might be nice to celebrate our 10-year wedding anniversary, but I wouldn’t necessarily feel the need to renew my vows because I feel quite wedded to them anyway.

Your sons – The 1975 frontman Matty, 34, and former Emmerdale actor Louis, 22, who you share with actor Tim Healy – are smashing it. Are there any perks to being the mum of a famous musician?

Well, going to New York recently to see Matty do Saturday Night Live, and meeting [American singer] Jack Antonoff and being included in that part of his life is fantastic! The band have been together since they were 13 years old, so I’ve known them since they were teenagers.

What’s it like watching Matty perform live?

Well, my godson is on the piano, and John Waugh – who they grew up with – is on sax, and Polly [Money], who happens to be my niece’s girlfriend, plays the guitar. It’s like seeing all of my family on stage, so I’m really proud of them. Plus, my youngest son Louis is an actor, and he is now doing Hotel Portofino – they’ve