Denise Welch has departed Loose Women after 25 years, with her exit prompting some viewers to predict the long-running ITV daytime show's decline. The 68-year-old revealed she wants to focus on her acting career, which she called her "first love".
Recent upheaval on the panel show
The ITV panel show, now in its 26th year, has faced sweeping changes in recent months. A seasonal broadcasting model introduced in January means Loose Women now runs for 30 weeks rather than year-round. The programme also eliminated its live studio audience, leading to the dismissal of warm-up comedian Lee Peart.
Loose Women has also moved to The H Club Studio in Covent Garden, sharing a centralised 360-degree LED-walled studio with This Morning and Lorraine to cut production costs. While its regular duration remains one hour, the show has trialled temporary extensions, including 15-minute "extra time" segments for sports scheduling and themed features.
Welch's departure and her reasons
Welch, who has appeared on and off the show for 25 years, said she wishes to commit herself entirely to acting. She has recently landed roles in the Channel 4 sitcom Stepping Up and the Channel 5 drama Forever Home.
In a video on Instagram, she explained: "Acting has always been my first love and, I think, the thing I'm best at. At the moment, I'm having the most wonderful opportunities coming my way and I'm grabbing them by the you-know-whats and running with it for this new chapter of my life."
Speaking about her time on Loose Women, she added: "This show has been part of mine, and my family's life, for nearly a quarter of a century. I have the most wonderful, wonderful memories. I've shared my life with you, the good, the bad, and the ugly. I'm very Marmite, but I cherish all the comments, good or bad, that I've had over the years."
Colleagues and viewers react
Her announcement drew an outpouring of support from colleagues. Presenter Kaye Adams wrote: "You have broken my heart but I shall watch your Den-aissance with love and pride." Nadia Sawalha commented: "You are such a fantastic actress. Fly high lovely."
Some viewers expressed enjoyment of her appearances, while others forecast the show's decline. One viewer commented: "It's not fun to watch anymore and it feels like people are not allowed to have different opinions on the important things! Plus ITV deciding to get the rid of the audience is the beginning of the end. You were my favourite one!" Another suggested Loose Women is "grinding to a halt", while a third remarked: "I'm glad you jumped before the ship went down."
The news follows the recent dropping of panellist Nadia Sawalha by ITV over controversy regarding her beliefs. It has also been reported that ITV axed a Loose Women spin-off project as part of continuing budget cuts across the broadcaster.
