Loose Women star Denise Welch is set to appear in Channel 4’s Celebrity Hunted alongside her husband, Lincoln Townley, next month – but her son Matty Healy stands to steal their thunder

Matty Healy is set to feature in a reality TV show alongside his mother, Denise Welch(Image: Getty Images)

Fans of the 1975 have been left stunned to see frontman Matty Healy will appear in a reality show with his mum, Denise Welch.

The 35-year-old musician is the son of 66-year-old Loose Women star Denise and her ex-husband Tim Healy, 72 – who she was married to from 1988 until 2012. Earlier this year it was revealed that Denise would be taking part in the Channel 4 reality series Celebrity Hunted which sees a cast of stars attempting to make it to a specified location while avoiding professional hunters that plan to catch them.

Denise signed up to the show alongside her third and current husband Lincoln Townley, 52 – but TV fans seem even more excited by the fact that chart-topping star Matty is set to make an appearance on the show. The series was filmed back in the summer and promotional clips have unveiled the unexpected inclusion of the Somebody Else singer.

In a trailer for the new season – which is due to begin airing on Channel 4 on Sunday 5 January 2025 – Matty is shown in a scene where Denise and Lincoln dive for cover by going backstage at at Radio 1’s Big Weekend when they band were performing. Footage shows the frontman saying: “Seriously what’s been going on? It’s been mental. I’ve been sending random messages to your phone.”

The 1975 star stands to steal all the attention on Channel 4’s Celebrity Hunted(Image: Getty Images)

His mum then says: “They’ve [the hunters] have got our phone,” before Healy adds: “Well I’ve been saying I’ll meet you in Sunderland and stuff” – suggesting that Denise’s plan to secretly meet her son could ultimately lead to her getting caught. Channel 4 could see a boost in ratings for the upcoming season as fans of the 1975 have been flooding social media with comments and promises to tune in to watch the reality show.

One fan gushed on X: “Celebrity hunted with matty omg need it.” Another typed: “Saw the trailer. I’m so watching it just to hear Matty talking or whatever.” Sharing footage via Instagram, one fan highlighted the star’s involvement, writing: “Matty Healy appears with mum, @denise_welch and her husband @lincolntownley who star in Channel 4 Celebrity Hunted Season 6! Matty helping them elude capture by sending misleading messages? Can’t wait to see how Denise and Lincoln do.”

The 1975 have been largely out of the spotlight in recent months after vowing to take time off after an exhausting 60 date world tour. The lads hit the road in September 2023 with their Still… At Their Very Best Tour which took in dates across Europe and North America – and didn’t conclude until March 2024.

Matty sparked alarm when he told fans the band intended to go on an “indefinite hiatus” upon the conclusion of the tour. He later explained: “I didn’t mean to scare any hardcore fans by insinuating that we were splitting up or anything like that. That’s not happening. Don’t worry.” Their last album, titled Being Funny in a Foreign Language, was released in October 2022.