Actress Denise Welch has quit ITV daytime talk show Loose Women after 25 years on Thursday to focus on her acting career. The 68-year-old Coronation Street star announced her departure in an Instagram video, explaining that she decided to step down to pursue a string of television roles.
Following her exit, former co-stars Sherrie Hewson and Carol McGiffin have both taken swipes at the long-running ITV series, claiming the panel show has lost its original freedom and become overly subdued.
Sherrie Hewson criticises changes to ITV panel show
Sherrie Hewson, 75, who departed Loose Women in 2016 after a 14-year stint, claimed the programme has "completely changed" since her time on the panel. Speaking to Zingo Bingo, she expressed frustration over what she described as strict editorial controls on modern television broadcasts, arguing that panellists no longer have the same freedom to speak openly.
"Times have changed, but we were very free and we could talk about anything. We could say anything," Hewson said. "We could discuss what we wanted, but now you can't. It's a very different time. You have to be controlled; you can't say this, you can't say that. It was just very free."
Hewson added that the atmosphere in earlier series felt unscripted and casual. "It was just women talking, but we didn't think anybody was watching, and I don't think they were," she said. She noted that studio relocations eliminated key elements of the broadcast format, including live studio audiences and high-profile guests.
"We had a lot of wonderful guests, like the cast of Friends, Bette Midler, and Robbie Williams was always on," Hewson recalled. "That's sad because that's all gone now, they don't have guests or a studio audience because they've moved studios."
Hewson also recalled heated on-air banter with former co-star Carol McGiffin. "We had such an amazing time and such freedom to be just us as girls. I'd say, 'What do you mean, Carol? You're talking c***. What are you talking about?' She would go, 'Don't you talk to me like that,' and I'd say, 'I'll talk to you how I want!' They were real rows."
Reflecting on how the show structured its debates, Hewson expressed regret over its current direction. "Sadly, that went with the structure as it changed, and became very formulaic. It's completely changed again and is now very structured, very what I would call subdued. We were never like that," she explained.
"We were loud, out there and if anyone said anything, we'd have a go at them. It was just a fantastic time. We won a lot of awards, but times change. Everything changes. With 'woke' now, it's very hard for them to be as free as we were," Hewson added.
The Daily Mail has approached Loose Women for comment regarding Hewson's claims.
Carol McGiffin reacts to exit after contract dispute
Carol McGiffin, who served as one of Loose Women's original panellists during an on-and-off 20-year tenure, marked Welch's exit with a sharp comment towards the series on social media. Renowned for her no-nonsense talking throughout her career, McGiffin made her feelings about the show clear.
"Baaaabes, can't believe you stuck it out for so long!" McGiffin wrote in response to Welch's announcement. "Upwards and upwards it is then. I won't see you up there but hope to see you down here sometime!"
McGiffin previously detailed her own decision to leave Loose Women in 2023 within her weekly newspaper column. She revealed that she stopped appearing on the panel after encountering a difficult contract dispute with network executives.
"I haven't been on the show for two months now because I've had to step away from it. It was causing me too much stress, which was mostly down to a difficult contract issue I'd been challenging since January," McGiffin wrote at the time.
"The problem was, ITV were insisting, for the first time since I went back in 2018, that if I wanted to carry on doing the show, I would have to sign a contract that was totally unjust and unworkable for me, so I had to say no thanks. And I know it looks like I've thrown my toys out of the pram, but the whole saga was affecting my health," she added.
Denise Welch steps down to return to acting career
Welch first appeared on Loose Women in 2000 and grew into one of the programme's most recognisable presenters. After taking a seven-year break from the show, she returned in 2018. Her final broadcast appearance on Loose Women aired on June 29.
In her Instagram video, Welch shared that she decided to step down so she could focus on acting opportunities. She described acting as her first love and the work she believes she does best, adding that she has recently been offered several exciting roles.
"After best part of 25 years, off and on, I did leave for about seven years and went back in 2018. This show has been a part of me and my family's life for nearly a quarter of a century," Welch said. "I have the most wonderful, wonderful memories and it's just that acting has always been my first love and I think the thing I'm best at, and at the moment I'm having the most wonderful opportunities coming my way."
"I'm grabbing them by the you know whats and running with it for this new chapter of my life," Welch continued. "So I just wanted to say that in person to thank all of the people who have shared my stories with me, 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 and I just hope you wish me well for this new and exciting chapter in my life."
Paying tribute to her fellow panellists, Welch dismissed rumours of behind-the-scenes friction. "I'll miss everybody but I will remain friends with the whole gang because... we are a happy band of campers. Anyway lots of love, thanks for sticking with me," she said.
Welch recently starred in the Channel 4 drama Tip Toe and has been cast in an upcoming adaptation of author Graham Norton's novel Forever Home. Following her announcement, a spokesperson for Loose Women praised her contribution to the series, stating: "Denise has been such a brilliant part of the Loose Women family and we are going to miss her hugely on the show. We are sending her all of our love and best wishes for her next chapter."
On-air controversies and high-profile debates
Despite her popularity among viewers, Welch's opinionated rants often divided public opinion and triggered lively debates both on and off screen. Throughout her time on Loose Women, she engaged in fiery clashes with several co-stars, including Kaye Adams and Stacey Solomon.
Her most famous discussions centered on controversial national topics, including Covid-19 pandemic restrictions, former Health Secretary Matt Hancock entering I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!, and the public actions of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. In June 2021, Welch had a furious row with co-presenter Gloria Hunniford over Covid guidelines. She also locked horns with Kaye Adams in a debate over whether the public should adhere to pandemic restrictions after Hancock was caught breaking them himself.
Last year, Welch made headlines during an appearance on Bravo TV's Watch What Happens Live when she took aim at pop star Taylor Swift, the ex-girlfriend of her son Matty Healy. Discussing Swift's album The Tortured Poets Department, Welch remarked: "Obviously, on pain of death can I talk about that episode, but being her mother-in-law is a role that I am glad that I lost." She also appeared to accuse Swift's fan base of attacking anyone who dares to criticise the singer, despite Swift writing personal songs about her former partners.
Background on Loose Women daytime television show
Loose Women is a long-running British daytime talk show produced by ITV Studios and broadcast live on ITV weekdays at lunchtime. First launched in 1999, the series features a rotating panel of prominent female celebrities, actresses, journalists, and broadcasters discussing current affairs, celebrity news, and personal stories in front of a live studio audience. Over more than two decades, the award-winning programme has established itself as a flagship fixture of UK daytime television.
