Denise Welch has enjoyed a night out at Mayfair restaurant Shanghai Me in her first public appearance since quitting ITV show Loose Women.
The 68-year-old television star announced last week that she had decided to step down from the daytime panel show after 26 years to focus on her acting career.
Welch appeared in high spirits as she arrived for dinner with friends at the Asian dining venue in London. She wore an all-brown outfit for the outing, which took place days after her departure announcement surprised viewers.
Shanghai Me is an upscale restaurant located in Mayfair, an affluent district in the West End of London. The establishment is known for luxury speciality dishes, including roast duck served with foie gras and caviar for £110, alongside sumiyaki wagyu beef kushiyaki priced at £98.
Instagram Announcement and Departure Details
Welch confirmed her exit from Loose Women in a video message posted to her Instagram account last week. The presenter made her last appearance on the panel on June 29, having first appeared on the ITV daytime programme in 2000.
Reflecting on her quarter-century involvement with the show, Welch explained that acting had always been her primary passion. She noted that she took a seven-year break from the series before returning to the panel in 2018.
Talking to her followers, Welch said: "I'm leaving Loose Women. 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 continued: "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."
Tributes and ITV Reaction
In her message, Welch paid tribute to her fellow panellists and dismissed rumors of behind-the-scenes friction on the set. She insisted that she would remain friends with all of her co-stars, describing the team as a happy band of campers.
Addressing her audience directly, she added: "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."
Welch concluded her video by saying: "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."
Following her announcement, a spokesman for Loose Women paid tribute to the departing presenter. The spokesman said: "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."
Upcoming Acting Roles
The decision to step down comes as Welch secures multiple acting roles in television productions. She recently starred in the Channel 4 drama series Tip Toe and has been cast in an upcoming adaptation of Graham Norton's novel Forever Home.
Channel 4 is a major British commercial public service broadcaster. Graham Norton is an Irish television presenter and author whose novel Forever Home is being adapted for the screen.
Past Loose Women Feuds and Swift Comments
During her 26-year association with Loose Women, Welch became one of the most recognisable figures on ITV daytime television. Her outspoken commentary and opinionated rants frequently generated discussion and divided viewer opinion.
Over the years, Welch engaged in high-profile on-screen debates and clashes with several of her Loose Women co-stars, including presenters Kaye Adams and Stacey Solomon. Both Adams and Solomon are longstanding panel members on the British talk show.
Last year, Welch attracted attention during an appearance on the American talk show Watch What Happens Live on Bravo TV when she commented on pop star Taylor Swift. Swift previously dated Welch's son, Matty Healy, the lead vocalist of indie rock band The 1975.
During the television broadcast, Welch accused Swift's fans of attacking critics despite the singer referencing former partners in her music. Asked about Swift's album The Tortured Poets Department, Welch said: "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."
Carol McGiffin Reaction and Contract Dispute
Welch received support from former Loose Women co-star Carol McGiffin following her departure post. McGiffin, who spent two decades on the show, left a comment on Welch's social media announcement that included criticism of the broadcaster.
McGiffin wrote: "Baaaabes, can't believe you stuck it out for so long!" She added: "Upwards and upwards it is then. I won’t see you up there but hope to see you down here sometime!"
McGiffin was one of the original panellists when Loose Women launched on ITV. Known for her straight-talking style during an on-and-off 20-year stint, McGiffin stepped away from the programme in 2023 following a dispute over contract terms.
Writing in her newspaper column in 2023, McGiffin explained her decision to leave after missing two months of broadcasts: "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 stated that ITV had introduced new contractual requirements that she found unacceptable. She wrote: "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."
Reflecting on the fallout, McGiffin added: "And I know it looks like I've thrown my toys out of the pram, but the whole saga was affecting my health."
