Denise Welch has dismissed speculation about fall-outs behind the scenes of Loose Women.
Over the years, the ITV daytime show has been at the centre of several ‘feud’ reports, which the long-serving panellist has admitted “upsets” her.
Speaking to The Sun, Denise insisted that while her co-stars can get involved in some “very feisty debates”, they are all “great friends”.
“I’m not afraid to be passionate and committed about something, we all have different views, we’re great friends,” she said.
“I do get upset that people are trying to make out that we’re always in some backstage feud. I haven’t fallen out with any of them in 20 years – but we have very feisty debates.”
Denise added: “It’s a show that encourages and appreciates older women, so we’re all going to be a bit set in our ways because we all have our own opinions.”
The former Coronation Street actor is the latest in a line of Loose Women stars to publicly refute claims of drama backstage on the show.
Jane Moore told OK! magazine last year: “In the ad breaks, we’ll say, ‘that [debate] was a bit fiery, wasn’t it?’. [But] I have an issue when people say, ‘Jane Moore and Nadia Sawalha cat fight on Loose Women’. Please, come on, we’re past that.
“They never do it about two blokes on a news programme and it’s so lame. Let’s move on, we’re not in the 1950s anymore. But we take it in our stride and get on with it.”
Meanwhile, anchor Charlene White branded claims about feuds “absolute nonsense”, insisting: “When you’re on the outside looking in and you see all those stories… written about the ladies on the panel, you have an impression of what it’s going to be like. Then you walk into this amazing group of women and realise that everyone’s incredibly supportive.”
Frankie Bridge also called out the double standard when it comes to reporting about the Loose Women panellists.
“I think it’s sad that this doesn’t happen on something like A League of Their Own with a group of men. It’s just not mentioned. And coming from a girl band, it’s exactly the same thing,” she said.
“Everyone always wants women to fight and it’s a real shame that it undoes all the good that Loose Women does.”
Loose Women airs weekdays at 12.30pm on ITV.