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EastEnders icon Shane Richie appeared on This Morning to discuss his latest storyline as Alfie Moon but the interview took a turn as he took made a cheeky dig a Loose Women

Shane Richie couldn’t help but take a cheeky swipe at Loose Women in front of his ex-wife Coleen Nolan during his appearance on This Morning.

The EastEnders legend spoke to hosts Ben Shephard and Cat Deeley about his upcoming storyline during Wednesday’s (November 6) episode of the ITV daytime show.

As Shane hinted that his character Alfie Moon could be about to get together with ex Kat Slater (Jessie Wallace), the actor made a joke about Loose Women, the show Coleen stars on.

After being welcomed to the studio by Ben, Shane said: “It was either This Morning or Loose Women and I only watch Loose Women now to find out what I’m doing” before adding: “If you know you know”. Ben left out a chuckle and Shane pointed out: “You got it didn’t you.”

Shane Richie couldn’t help but take a cheeky swipe at Loose Women in front of his ex-wife Coleen Nolan during his appearance on This Morning

As the interview came to an end, Ben and Cat crossed to the Loose Women studio to find out what was coming up on the programme. Host Charlene White reassured Shane that they wouldn’t be talking about him on the show as she stood next to co-stars Coleen, Judi Love and Brenda Edwards. Shane could be heard saying: “What am I doing today?” and “I recognise her” as the broadcasted returned to This Morning.

Coleen and Shane tied the knot in 1990 and share two sons Shane Jr and Jake. They split in 1999 after their marriage ended in heartbreak after both parties cheated. The couple first crossed paths in 1986 and planned a grand wedding four years later but eloped to Florida at the last minute when their plans went awry.

Coleen was on the Loose Women panel alongside Charlene White, Judi Love and Brenda Edwards
In 1996, Shane relocated to Manchester to take on the role of Danny Zuko in Grease, leaving Coleen and their two children in the south. In an excerpt from her 2009 autobiography, Coleen revealed that was the moment she began to suspect something wasn’t right.

At an industry party for one of Shane’s musicals, her suspicions were aroused when she noticed an attractive brunette woman across the room. “At the after-show party, I can distinctly remember examining this one girl. There were loads of people there but she just stood out. She had really long dark hair and was wearing a skin-tight white dress,” Coleen reminisced.

Shane and Coleen were married for nine years ( 
Image:
Getty Images)“Well, it must have been female intuition because that turned out to be the girl Shane had an affair with.” In his memoir, Rags to Riches, Shane confessed to being unfaithful to Coleen with dancer and actress Claire Taylor.

He disclosed: “I was lying so much that I couldn’t remember which story I’d told to each of them. And I’d lie to cover up the lies.”

Donald Trump has previously hinted that he wouldn’t go easy on Prince Harry and Meghan Markle should he return to the White House. As his victory is made official, the Mirror looks at the Sussexes’ potential back up plan

Donald Trump has now been officially elected as the next President of the United States – and it’s thought he could stay true to one of his vows made against Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

Trump, 78, warned he would take ‘appropriate action’ with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex – which could potentially see them booted out of the US altogether. If this is the case, then it’s believed the couple could have a ‘back up plan’ in place, with preparations already in place should the worst come to pass.

The Republican previously addressed passages in Prince Harry’s bestselling 2023 memoir Spare, which sees the Duke of Sussex detailing his experiences with psychedelic drugs – which could rule havoc for his visa. In one memorable passage, Harry, 40, recounted an experience with magic mushrooms at a Hollywood party, remembering: “I stared at the bin. It stared back. ‘What-staring? ‘ Then it became… a head. I stepped on the pedal and the head opened its mouth. A huge open grin.”

With a candidness rarely seen among senior members of the Royal family, the father-of-two also confessed that, while cocaine ‘didn’t do anything’ for him, “Marijuana is different, that actually really did help me.” Readers were gripped by the no-holds-barred look at Harry’s life away from his Royal duties – but it’s understood that formerly impeached President Trump was decidedly less than impressed.

The Republican previously addressed passages in Prince Harry’s bestselling 2023 memoir Spare, which sees the Duke of Sussex detailing his experiences with psychedelic drugs – which could rule havoc for his visa. In one memorable passage, Harry, 40, recounted an experience with magic mushrooms at a Hollywood party, remembering: “I stared at the bin. It stared back. ‘What-staring? ‘ Then it became… a head. I stepped on the pedal and the head opened its mouth. A huge open grin.”

With a candidness rarely seen among senior members of the Royal family, the father-of-two also confessed that, while cocaine ‘didn’t do anything’ for him, “Marijuana is different, that actually really did help me.” Readers were gripped by the no-holds-barred look at Harry’s life away from his Royal duties – but it’s understood that formerly impeached President Trump was decidedly less than impressed.

Trump has now won the election ( 
Image:
AP)

Royal expert Hugo Vickers told The Sun : “I wouldn’t be at all surprised if he suddenly said ‘Right, I’m sending Prince Harry out of this country’. And the reasons that he would use would be the drug issue, because Prince Harry has admitted to taking marijuana, cocaine, magic mushrooms – and may not have filled that in on his visa form.”

Hugo added: “I think it’s very wise to take all the possibilities into account [and look to live elsewhere]. Looking at it from the outside, it makes perfect sense that they should have a backup plan. But Meghan is very US-based and [Harry being kicked out] would be a problem for them.”

It would appear, however, that the Sussexes could already have somewhere in mind – their new holiday home in Portugal, close to one owned by Harry’s beloved younger cousin, Princess Eugenie, 34, and her husband Jack Brooksbank, 38. The Mail Online previously reported that this purchase could have allowed the Duke and Suchess to obtain a ‘Golden Visa’ – which would allow them visa-free access to the European Union’s Schengen area.

However, another royal expert, Richard Fitzwilliams, told the Daily Express that it’s unlikely Portugal will become the Sussexes’ new permanent home. Fitzwilliams explained: “I don’t think that the home in Portugal is intended as a permanent base to replace California.

“Harry was extremely foolish to discuss his drug taking in Spare both in interviews and in the memoir, available in paperback. However, the Sussexes have kept a relatively low profile during the Election, urging Americans to vote but not being explicit as to whom for.

He continued: “At one time it was thought that Meghan might enter politics but we have seen no sign of this. It is most unlikely that Trump would risk an embarrassing episode involving the royal family by expelling Harry, if it was discovered that he had not revealed his drug taking on his Visa application.”

During an interview with GB News earlier this year, Trump was quizzed by interviewer Nigel Farage as to whether there would be any ‘special privileges’ for Harry. Trump, who was found guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records back in May, replied: “No. We’ll have to see if they know something about the drugs, and if he lied they’ll have to take appropriate action.”

Farage then pressed: “Appropriate action? Which might mean…not staying in America?” Considering this, Trump responded: “Oh I don’t know. You’ll have to tell me. You just have to tell me. You would have thought they would have known this a long time ago.”

Meanwhile, back in February, during the four-day Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington DC, Trump told the Daily Express US that he believed the Royal Family had been ‘too gracious’ to Prince Harry – hinting that he would not protect him should he return to power, as he felt President Joe Biden had done. Trump remarked: “I wouldn’t protect him. He betrayed the Queen. That’s unforgivable. He would be on his own if it was down to me.” He continued: “I think they have been too gracious to him after what he has done.”

A lawsuit filed by the conservative think tank Heritage Foundation previously argued that the Government should release records about Harry’s visa US application to show whether or not his drug use was disclosed. The Washington-based foundation argued that ‘widespread and continuous’ coverage of the Duke’s drug use called into question whether or not he had been ‘properly vetted’ before being allowed into the US. The group asserted that, under US law, drug use ‘generally renders such a person inadmissible for entry’.

However, back in September, a US judge ruled that Harry’s application should remain private. Carl Nichols stated that “the public does not have a strong interest in disclosure of the duke’s immigration records”. He added: “Like any foreign national, the duke has a legitimate privacy interest in his immigration status.”

Amy Dowden was absent from last Saturday’s show after she was rushed to hospital, and in an emotional statement, she confirmed she wouldn’t be returning to the dancefloor this year

Amy Dowden is “uncontactable” after quitting this year’s Strictly Come Dancing, according to former contestant Sara Davies.

The 40-year-old Dragon’s Den star competed in 2021, and revealed during Tuesday’s edition of Loose Women that the Welsh dancer is “unreachable” after she stepped down from the BBC One show following an injury. The professional dancer was rushed to hospital earlier this month after collapsing backstage following the live show, and last weekend, Amy was replaced by Lauren Oakley, who danced with her celebrity partner JB Gill.

In an emotional statement, Amy later confirmed a foot injury was the reason behind her hospital dash, and she bowed out of the rest of this year’s series to concentrate on her recovery. During Tuesday’s edition of the ITV daytime show, Sara admitted she had sent Amy a text message but hadn’t heard back.

Amy was rushed to hospital following her performance with JB Gill ( 
Image:
PA)
“The thing with Amy is Strictly is her life. It’s not a job to her. It’s her passion, dancing is her life. And she lives for that time on Strictly and taking a celebrity through that journey. And to have it pulled away from her was devastating for last year. And I remember having to sit her down as that friend that kind of has to give you the tough love and say, ‘Amy, I know it’s your life, but it’s not going anywhere. It’ll be there next year. You need to put your health first. You need to go through the chemo. You need to get better. And then you can go and give Strictly your all,’” Sara explained.

She said Amy was prepared to take a step back from the show to focus on her recovery, and come back stronger next year. “I’ve got her teed up feeling, right, ‘I can do this. I’m just going to give it my all, getting better this year because next year I can do Strictly.’ And then there she was. And you see her every week. Having the time of her life. She leaves her heart on that dance floor. And then a foot injury,” Sara added.

Sara competed on Strictly in 2021, and has stayed in contact with some of the pro dancers ( 
Image:
PA)

Amy made an emotional return to Strictly this year after her breast cancer diganosis ( 
Image:
BBC/Ray Burmiston)
The 34-year-old dancer was diagnosed with breast cancer last year, and was forced to take a year-long break from the show following her diagnosis and subsequent cancer treatment. She made a triumphant return to the dancefloor this year, alongside former JLS singer JB, and was expected to be in this year’s final, but confirmed she would no longer be taking part in the show after her medical emergency.

“My heart is breaking right now. The past few months I finally felt like me again. Cancer was no longer the first thing I thought of when I woke up. It was choreography, music choices, which dances in which order, what we needed to work on. I felt free again,” Amy said in a statement on Sunday.

“My goal since hearing those words you have cancer was to get back on the Strictly dance floor. It’s been such a challenge to get back, one I devoted 2024 to. My heart right now is breaking having to pull out of the competition due to a foot injury and I know only too well ‘this too shall pass’ and I’ll be soon better and back dancing… I’m sure at some point we will dance again JB.”

Katie and Rio Ferdinand’s young son Cree has been rushed to hospital in an ambulance while on holiday as they admit to having ‘sleepless nights’

Katie and Rio Ferdinand’s young son has been rushed to hospital after a horror accident abroad.

Mum Kate, 33, shared a photo of son Cree in an ambulance as she opened up on the scary ordeal that happened while on holiday. She could be seen kissing the little boy as he lay down on a bed inside the ambulance. Alongside the black and white photo, Kate shared: “We ended a fabulous trip with a broken collar bone. My boy just always gets injured!! It’s been sleepless nights, cuddles, tv & chocolate since.”

Kate and football star Rio married in 2019 and are parents to Cree, three, and Shae, who was born last year. Rio also has children Lorenz, Tate and Tia from his married to Rebecca Ellison, who tragically died in 2015. Kate revealed Cree’s accident happened near the end to their family holiday.

Cree needed emergency care and was taken to the nearest hospital. Kate recently paid a touching homage to her ex-footballer hubby, as they celebrated five years of marriage. She posted an extravagant throwback photo from their lavish Turkish wedding, with the caption: “5 years today, my best friend is Completely obsessed with us.”

Kate shared a photo of Cree in an ambulance

Kate shares children Cree and Shae with husband Rio ( 
Image:
Instagram)

The couple exchanged vows at a fairy-tale beachfront ceremony in Marmaris, Turkey, back in 2019, in the presence of their closest friends and family. Reflecting on their nuptials, Rio declared it was ‘fate’ that brought Kate into his life. He told OK! on their special day: “I definitely wasn’t looking for someone at that time.

“I didn’t think it was possible, I wasn’t open to bringing someone in to become a step-mum to the kids. Things don’t always go the way you imagine. Meeting Kate changed everything and sometimes it’s just fate. I knew Kate was special from the moment I met her; it was pretty instant, but seeing her with the kids cemented everything; that was a huge part of it for me.”

Kate has also shared how her stepchildren help her out with Cree and Shae. She revealed the children all adore Shae and help out around the house. She said: “Tia is really helpful. We’re happy we’ve got another girl on side! The boys are out a lot because of football, but they help me out with Cree, so I’m able to look after the baby.”

Kate said goodbye to her reality TV career when she transitioned into step-motherhood. She has confessed that she initially did not understand fully what she had signed up for when she started dating the football legend from Manchester United. During an appearance on Anna Richardson’s It Can’t Just Be Me podcast, she said: “When I think back, I don’t know how we did navigate it and it’s a real big blur.

“I went from being a single, carefree girl to a stepmum-of-three. And these kids have gone through so much, and there’s grief. It’s all a bit of a blur.” Kate acknowledged that going into a situation headfirst can sometimes lead to surprising outcomes. She added: “It’s hard to know what you’re getting into sometimes until you’re actually in it. Until you’re in it, you don’t really realise. I felt a little bit shocked, I didn’t really know how to parent.”

The Loose Women are “naughty” and “silly” behind the scenes, says panellist Olivia Attwood who insists there is “no conflict” between the stars

Loose Women is “naughty” behind the scenes, according to its new panellist Olivia Attwood.

The reality star says she has never experienced any “conflict”, despite reports that several of the stars have fallen out.

“It’s that thing we love, women to be at war with each other – it’s so exciting,” says Olivia, who was entertaining viewing Love Island.

But there is less drama backstage at the ITV panel show, which Olivia appeared on last week alongside Nadia Sawalha, Kaye Adams and Denise Welch. “I have not seen conflict at Loose,” she continues. “The women have a lot of fun with each other. Like it’s naughty, they’re silly, they’re mates. There’s some of these women have worked together for, 20 odd years. They know each other inside out. And that’s also credit to them for making me feel so part of it, because I’m coming in there with friendships that have been existing long before I was.”

Olivia Attwood chats to Caroline Hirons on the Glad We Had This Chat podcast
Olivia says she prepared herself to not resonate with viewers when she first joined the show. She tells the Caroline Hirons Glad We Had This Chat podcast, out today: “I actually really was like, I’ve got nothing to lose here because if the daytime viewers don’t warm to me or isn’t a fit or the women don’t like me, it’s all good training, it’s all good experience. So I was up for it.

“They said they weren’t surprised at all. And I guess that’s why they’re the bosses and they know what they’re looking for. But I guess I was surprised how quickly it just felt like I’d been there forever.”

Caroline’s Glad We Had This Chat podcast launches today for its second series, and the beauty guru, who founded Skin Rocks, will tour the podcast next year, interviewing guests around the country. The first episode with Olivia Attwood is available now.

Loose Women star Denise Welch has always been open and honest when it comes to her past affairs – having met her current husband Lincoln Townley while she married

Denise Welch is not shy when it comes to owning her past “infidelities” and she did just that on Loose Women.

Speaking to the panel that included Kaye Adams, Olivia Attwood and Nadia Sawalha on Thursday (October 31), Denise admitted “it was no secret” that she’d been unfaithful in the past and that she’d paid her dues with her affairs being played out in the media over the years.

The conversation got flowing on the topical ITV programme as Kaye Adams asked her fellow co-stars if they believed there was a misconception when it came to women cheating. She pondered over whether it was looked at differently for females.

Love Island star Olivia Attwood, famed for her open and honest opinions, was not shy with coming forward and spilling some home truths on the situation. She admitted that her girlfriends “could do no wrong” in her eyes.

However, did go on to say that she and her friends knew that there were discrepancies when it came to men acting in the very same way as them. Olivia even stated her friends would “laugh about it” often, knowing full well that if a male partner did the same, it would be frowned upon.

Denise owned up to “infidelities” on-air
Stepping into the spotlight to discuss the same subject, Denise had to nod in agreement with Olivia’s comments. She wondered if it was perceived that there would be more of a “valid reason” leading ladies to cheat as opposed to men.

It was during this moment that Denise aired: “I do agree that there are double standards, however when I admitted to my own infidelities I was treated like the wicked witch of the west, certainly by the media and probably quite rightly so.”

Denise and Lincoln have been married since 2013 ( 
Image:
Loose Women’s Denise Welch/Instagram)
She had been referring to when she met her current husband Lincoln Townley, although she was careful not to mention any significant details after being called out by her ex-husband on X – formerly Twitter.

A few years back Denise had been chatting to her co-star about “going behind the bike shed” for casual sex when she touched on her former marriage with actor Tim Healey. He and Denise were married between 1988 and 2012, together sharing two sons – Matt and Louis.

Denise talks cheating on Loose WomenIn a tweet that was swiftly deleted, Tim furiously wrote: “Just watched yesterday’s Loose Women. Denise in her day was talking about how it was ok to have casual sex behind the bike shed even though married.”

He went on to vow: “Day after day year on year she discussed our private life. Long suffering Tim Healy I am no more xx.” Speaking about her marriage to Tim on the show and the subject of “emotional cheating” she confessed: “My husband and I both agree we held on far too long and we were making each other miserable and thankfully we’ve now got a great friendship.

“I genuinely used to think that being unfaithful wasn’t the worst thing you could do in a relationship. There were infidelities on both sides… which you girls know about.”

Loose Women panellist Stacey Solomon took to social media to share her latest DIY project, which bothered a number of her followers

DIY icon Stacey Solomon shared a wholesome update about the pond in her garden but many fans took issue with the colour.

The Loose Women panellist wanted to upgrade the pond at her Pickle Cottage and came up with a quick solution to make it look better. Taking to her Instagram Stories, she shared a video of herself getting to work and captioned the video: “Made up a solution to make the pond sides pretty! Found some leftover micro cement from the pool area, slapped it on our leftover pond lining sprinkled leftover stones on it.

“Let it dry overnight and then tent pegged it in! Really proud of this makeshift invention.” The TV star quickly returned to her Stories to share the results and told fans: “Sorry but I’m just so over the moon because it worked!” She panned the camera around the pond and told fans how proud she was of her work.

However, some viewers were too focused on how green her pond looked and shared their opinions in her DMs. Stacey read a few messages and filmed herself as she addressed her followers. The star said: “I’ve just been pond-shamed left, right and centre. My pond is green, okay! It’s in the sun all day and grows algae, which makes it green.”

Stacey showcased her green pond on social media ( 
Image:
Instagram)

Her fans ‘pond-shamed’ her as they were grossed out by the colour ( 
Image:
Instagram)

Stacey laughed as she continued: “I will put a filter in there but I just haven’t done it yet,” before adding that it’s ‘perfectly safe’ and that the ducks love the ‘green’ as they eat the algae and bugs in the pond. She pointed out how many users were disgusted by the colour. Stacey reminded them that ponds are, in fact, green.

In the caption, she wrote: “Can we stop pond-shaming me now,” along with a laughing face emoji. A few hours later, Stacey posted a picture of her smiling at the camera as she held hands with some of her children in the garden. The kids were in their swimsuits as they got ready to play in the swimming pool.

The star said: “Joe’s home fishing with his biggest boy, so I’m on lifeguard duty hoping to tire them out and get a nice early bedtime. Forever grateful to have this in our garden. I’ll never take it for granted. Who knows what the future holds so we will make the most of it every day we can.”

The Duke of York has settled the US civil sexual assault case brought by Virginia Giuffre although he has continued to deny the allegations

The Loose Women clashed on Thursday’s show during a fiery opening discussion over Prince Andrew’s settlement of the US civil sexual assault case brought by Virginia Giuffre.

The Duke of York agreed to pay an undisclosed sum as part of the settlement – although it is reported to be £12 million – and accepted Ms Giuffre had suffered as a victim of abuse.

Prince Andrew made no admission of liability and has continued to deny the allegations.

On Thursday’s instalment of the ITV daytime show, the panellist discussed the out of court settlement and the studio became heated as the conversation devolved into Denise Welch, 63, and Carol McGiffin, 61, shouting at each other.

Host Kaye Adams, 59, posed the opening question to Carol, saying: “Do you think this has diminished trust in the Royal family?”

The panellists discussed Prince Andrew’s out of court settlement with Virginia Giuffre ( 
Image:
ITV)
She replied: “Why do we have to trust them? They’re the Royal family. I just want them to be there. I don’t actually care what is going on with them, because the point is we do not know.”

She continued: “The speculation that surrounds the Royal family is rife. It always has been and they never apologise, they never explain, they never tell you anything, so you don’t know.

“You don’t know where the money’s coming from – I don’t care where it’s coming from, if it’s the public money or it’s any money. We don’t even know if it’s 12 million do we?”

Fellow panellist Denise cut in saying: “Do you think Andrew should be stripped of his titles? Are you bothered about that?”

Denise cut in saying: “Do you think Andrew should be stripped of his titles?” ( 
Image:
ITV)
As the volume turned up between the panellists in the studio, Carol said: “Look, we still don’t know what happened.”

But Denise cut in to mention sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, and the pair began to shout over one another as host Kaye tried to regain control of the conversation.

Denise exclaimed: “What I’m saying is Jeffrey Epstein has already been found guilty of child sex offences. Andrew went – that wasn’t a mistake. That was a journey he made.”

Kaye finally interjected, saying: “Hold on, he’s apologised for his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein. That is the extent of it. He has made a settlement and it has gone to Virginia Guiffre’s charity.”

As the volume turned up in the studio, Carol said: “Look, we still don’t know what happened.” ( 
Image:
ITV)
Denise then muttered off camera: “Good. Completely innocent then.”

Carol again weighed in to say: “There’s no day in court, so we’ll never know. Even if there had been, we would never have known anyway. It’s he says she says and it’s who you believe. Can we drop it now?”

Kaye concluded the heated conversation saying that the public demand “transparency” from the Royal family.

She said: “Let’s be realistic, the royal family, if we go back centuries – like every family – has had scandal running through it. Until a certain point in history they were able to employ the tactic of saying nothing and the press stood back.

“But now the press behaves very differently,” she then turned to her fellow panellists to say: “Have we got off to a good start there?”

As Kamala Harris is tipped to run for president against Donald Trump, Coleen Nolan hinted at a potential break from Loose Women as she admitted she was exasperated by the topic.

Coleen Nolan revealed she wouldn’t be on Loose Women if the panel’s discussion revolved around the ongoing debate around the American presidential election.

The panellist, 59, was back on the set of the daytime ITV show alongside Brenda Edwards, Denise Welch and Ruth Langsford as the group reflected on the latest headlines.

Presenter Ruth, who made her long-awaited TV return after her split from Eamonn Holmes this Monday, kicked off this Tuesday’s (July 23) instalment of the programme with a discussion around Joe Biden’s decision to drop out of the presidential election, which was seen as a potential boost for Vice-President Kamala Harris.

The US president has backed Kamala Harris’ nomination, leaving the Democratic Party on edge as she could face Republican candidate and former president Donald Trump later this year.

Coleen Nolan let her Loose Women co-stars know that she’d had enough of the ongoing debate around the American presidential election ( 
Image:
ITV)

As Kamala Harris’ potential participation in the race to the White House, Joe Biden’s position as the American president was called into question and his Vice-President has been seen as his perfect replacement.

With the election due to take place on November 5, 2024, Ruth Langsford was well aware this wouldn’t be the last her panel and viewers would hear of the presidential campaign.

The conversation was drawn to a close with Ruth saying: “I’m sure this won’t be the last time we’re talking about it, it’s a long race for the presidency and we will see…”

But in a defeated breath, Coleen Nolan stared into space in despair as she lamented: “I won’t come in”, leaving the audience in hysterics.

Coleen has been a regular presence on the programme since her Loose Women debut in 2000. She first left the show in July, 2011, before reappearing on October 7, 2013. The TV star has also been a relief anchor of the show for the past decade.

This comes after another familiar star of the show, Judi Love, was announced to be taking on another role, worlds away from the talk show. It was recently revealed that Judi will be the official host for the upcoming specials for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, due to air in August.

Titled, ITVX Presents: LIVE COMEDY from the Edinburgh Fringe, the event will be streamed directly to viewers on the broadcasting channel.

Speaking about her role, Judi said: “If you can’t make it in person to the Edinburgh Fringe do not worry as we’re bringing it straight into your homes. You’ll be able to watch stand-up comedy, live from Edinburgh from your sofa! I’m truly excited to be hosting these four nights and sharing this experience with all these talented acts.”

Charlotte Dujardin has come under fire after footage showed her whipping a horse during a training session – but for Denise Welch, another Olympic athlete deserves just as much criticism

Denise Welch was frustrated that Steven van de Velde received close to no backlash for raping a 12-year-old after Charlotte Dujardin’s own actions caused her to be suspended.

The British dressage star, 39, was forced to pull out of the 2024 Olympic Games when footage showed her repeatedly whipping the back of a horse’s legs and she was suspended by the equestrian governing body, the FEI.

But as the dressage rider remains under fire for what she has described as “an error of judgement”, Loose Women panellist Denise Welch was seething to know that Steven van de Velde had been selected to represent the Netherlands in beach volleyball despite his rape conviction.

Steven van de Velde has been backed to represent the Netherlands in beach volleyball despite his rape conviction ( 
Image:
Getty Images)
When discussing Charlotte Dujardin with co-stars Judi Love, Mariella Frostrup and Coleen Nolan, Denise seethed: “The headlines all over the papers this week, and on television this morning, it’s about the cruelty to this horse and I completely understand that.” Before she moved on to Steven van de Velde.

“He’s representing the Netherlands in beach volleyball”, the former Coronation Street actress explained. “He is an accused rapist and he has been imprisoned. He was 18, 19 years old when he knew that this girl was 12. He raped this girl and he admitted to it.”

She then continued to summarise the situation in a dismayed tone: “He was given a four-year sentence f which he served a year and he has been supported by the board at the Olympics and they are saying: ‘we’ve got everything in place, he’s not allowed to mix with anyone’.”

Denise was then clearly livid as she added: “We’re talking about violence against women and we’re making headlines of this equestrian situation, which is serious, but nobody seems to be talking, front page wise, about what’s going on.”

Steven van de Velde was found guilty of raping the girl at an address in Milton Keynes ten years ago. Having become acquainted with her on Facebook, the then 19-year-old travelled to the UK and police were alerted to the rape after his victim sought the morning after pill at a family planning clinic.

He was given a four-year sentence at Aylesbury Crown Court in 2016 after pleading guilty to three counts of rape and served a year in a Netherlands jail before his release.

Dutch Olympic chiefs say that Van de Velde has “sought and received professional counselling [and] demonstrated to those around him – privately and professionally – self-insight and reflection.”