Denise Welch has hit back at criticism over her accent following an appearance on US talk show Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, where she made a savage dig about her son Matty Healy's brief romance with Taylor Swift.
The Loose Women star faced backlash after viewers accused her of adopting a "more posh" and "American" accent during the interview. One viewer questioned: "What happened to her accent? WTF." Welch also sparked controversy by saying she was glad not to be Taylor Swift's mother-in-law.
Speaking on Loose Women, Welch denied changing her accent, insisting: "I never talked like Gazza!" She added: "And then people say I was doing an American accent! Rubbish!" However, co-stars Katie Piper and Nadia Sawalha remained unconvinced, telling her she did sound American.
Welch later admitted to adopting inflections from people she speaks to, saying: "I can hear an inflection there... if I have spoken to a friend who is from Liverpool I'm going like that." She also referenced her ex-husband's comment about her picking up an Australian accent during a trip.
Despite the backlash, Welch said she "honestly loved" appearing on the show and was surprised to be invited. She noted that Matty has taken Taylor's album tracks about their relationship "in completely good grace" and is now engaged to singer Gabbriette.
