Long-time Loose Women panellist Denise Welch says she’s planning a big career move next year, following ITV’s announcement that it was cutting the show back to 30 weeks a year

Denise has been a regular on the ITV panel show since 2005(Image: Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)

Denise Welch was already a respected stage actress before making her TV debut in Auf Wiedersehen, Pet in the mid eighties. Forty years on, she’s known as one of the most outspoken – and also popular – panellists on ITV’s Loose Women, but in this exclusive chat, Denise says she’s keen to return to her professional roots.

Earlier this year, ITV announced it was merging production teams on three of its daytime shows, and cutting Loose Women and Lorraine back to 30 weeks a year.

The effect, although the channel has yet to announce anything publicly, is expected to be job losses amongst the backstage crew, but the future of the panellists themselves is still an unknown.

Denise is thinking about shifting back to her original passion – acting(Image: ITV)

Although ITV bosses insisted there wouldn’t be any “radical changes” to the panel line-up, which includes telly favourites like Denise, Coleen Nolan and Ruth Langsford, it’s understandably prompted a few thoughts about what’s next.

For Denise, who first appeared on the daytime show 2005, it’s an opportunity to make a return to what she knows and loves best — acting.

“I’m on television because I’m gobby and opinionated, and I think people can forget what I really do, and what I’m really good at, so I’m going to make a concerted effort to go back to what I do and know,” she told OK! magazine.

Denise starred in Waterloo Road as teacher Steph Haydock from 2006 to 2010(Image: Shed Productions)

That said, the 67-year-old former Coronation Street star, who recently celebrated 12 years of marriage to artist Lincoln Townley, insists there should always be a place on TV for Loose Women, regardless of the changes.

“It’s the only show in the country that not only celebrates older women, but reveres and listens to older women’s opinions,” she says.

As well as her regular Loose Women appearances, Denise has also had a number of high-profile roles on some of the country’s best loved soaps, including playing Rovers’ landlady Natalie Barnes in Coronation Street in more than 480 episodes between 1997 and 2000.

Denise played Rovers’ landlady Natalie Horrocks in Coronation Street(Image: Granada TV)

She’s also known for her part as teacher Steph Haydock in the BBC’s Waterloo Road, and more recently, Trish Minniver in Hollyoaks. Denise puts part of her success down not only to giving up alcohol 13 years ago – but the fact her heart lies in acting, especially in the theatre.

“I’m proud of some of the things I’ve done as an actress. It might sound big-headed, but it’s the one thing I say I’m f*****g good at. “And I’m going to concentrate on reminding everybody of that!”