Loose Women panellist Denise Welch has set the festive season alight with a surprising new career move, releasing a hyperpop Christmas anthem that has been branded 'iconic' by her famous friends and co-stars.
A Festive Career Pivot
The 67-year-old Geordie star unveiled her new track, titled 'Slayyy Bells', on Friday, marking her first-ever festive release. The song, created in collaboration with Celebrations, aims to bring a fresh, modern twist to Christmas music and potentially rival recent seasonal offerings from pop giants like Kylie Minogue.
Welch took to social media to explain her new direction, telling her followers: 'You may have noticed that I'm changing things up at the moment. Well, @ukcelebrations did and asked me to add a bit of my hip, cool vibe to a classic festive song.'
Celebrity Support and Online Backlash
The announcement prompted an outpouring of support from her celebrity circle. Her Loose Women co-star Andrea McLean exclaimed, 'Omg. You are getting more fabulous by the day,' while Tanya Bardsley labelled the track 'brilliant'.
Influencer GK Barry praised both the song and Welch's style, calling it 'Iconic song and iconic outfit,' and Drag Race UK's Michael Marouli commended her 'Iconic behaviour.' Other notable likes and support came from Amber Gill and various other personalities.
However, the reception wasn't universally positive. Some social media users responded with less enthusiasm. One Instagram user reshared her post with the comment: 'Stop this world. I want to get off.' Another follower admitted, 'So many questions,' while a more critical commenter meanly added, 'God bless the deaf.'
Demonstrating her trademark resilience, Welch hit back at the negativity with humour, joking in response, 'Is it number one yet???' A supportive fan quickly replied, 'Should be.'
The Message Behind the Music
Welch described 'Slayyy Bells' as being 'about doing Christmas your way'. She elaborated on her philosophy behind the song, encouraging people to break with tradition if they wish.
'Don't want Turkey? Don't have it. Don't want to dress up? Stay in your pj's,' she advised. 'But my message to you is, however you spend your holidays, have lots and lots of fun, huns. Slayyy Bells is here!!!'
This festive release follows recent revelations from Welch about standing up for herself in her professional career. Speaking on the ITV Loose Women Just Between Us podcast with GK Barry last week, she recounted a furious exchange with a director from thirty years ago who told her 'Don't you worry your pretty little head about that.'
The comment, which she found deeply patronising, prompted her to storm off to her dressing room until the director apologised, revealing a fiercer side to the television personality that her colleagues hadn't previously witnessed.
As 'Slayyy Bells' makes its way to listeners, it's clear that Denise Welch continues to captivate audiences, whether through her daytime television appearances or her unexpected forays into the music world, proving that at 67, she's still full of surprises.
