Loose Women icon Denise Welch has hit back after a talent agent claimed that the ITV panel show is a ‘cut-throat’ place to work, insisting that this isn’t the case

Denise Welch has furiously slammed claims that Loose Women is a far from pleasant programme to work on.

It comes after talent agent Melanie Blake claimed: “In my experience, it’s [Loose Women] that’s a cut-throat place to work and not This Morning.” In a heated social media spat, Denise stated that she “adores” her fellow panellists and would never work for a programme which she deemed to be toxic.

Melanie, who managed some of the biggest television stars previously said: “Considering I represented over 15 women on that show, I am only friends with Saira Khan. But I am in such a positive career space right now, it’s just not a period of time I want to relive. But I can confirm in my experience, it’s that show that’s a cut-throat place to work and not This Morning.”

Denise Welch has responded to allegations that Loose Women is a toxic environment ( 
Image:
S Meddle/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)

The actress and broadcaster explained she “adores” her colleagues ( 
Image:
Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)

This infuriated Denise, 65, who has appeared on the show in various roles since 2000 as she took to X, formerly known as Twitter, saying: “So disappointing that a female agent @MelanieBlakeUK constantly uses her position to tear down other women. It’s such a cliche that women can’t work together without being b*****s. I adore my @loosewomen colleagues otherwise I wouldn’t work there.”

She later added: “Melanie writes that Loose Women was and is a toxic place to work. I’m sorry Melanie but it isn’t. I love it. Otherwise, I wouldn’t work there. If she only speaks to one of the women she used to represent then that says more about her than them.” Responding to Denise, Melanie said that her comments referred specifically to the “era” she worked on the ITV daytime programme.

Speaking previously, Melanie told Notebook: “Put a load of ambitious women together with a small amount of seats to fill and inevitably there is always going to be tension. Showbiz isn’t all diamonds and rosé. Despite the party line of the Loose Women having been the best of friends from day one, it’s simply that, a party line.

Fellow Loose Women star Kaye Adams has also dismissed claims of feuds between the panellists ( 
Image:
Dave Benett/Getty Images)“Just because you get a job sitting next to each other, doesn’t mean you’re going to be friends. There were a lot of egos in my era, so it’s not a show I want my new agency to represent stars from again.” Denise isn’t the only panellist from the programme to shut down allegations of a feud between the stars.

Last month, Kaye Adams commented: “I do get fed up that almost always we will be asked whether we bitch about each other. I’m just waiting for Alan Shearer and Gary Lineker to be asked the same question because they just never are. When we are asked about feuds, we think it is funny. It is certainly not a viper’s nest.”The one thing that I can guarantee when I go to the Loose Women, regardless of the line-up of women, regardless of the topics, at some point in that day, I will have a real belly laugh. And I don’t know how many other people can say that about their working life. I’m really delighted to say, hand on heart at some point in the day, we will be creasing ourselves, which is a lovely thing.”