Denise Welch made a not-so-subtle joke about her “younger” co-stars on Loose Women after an on-air row with fellow panellist Stacey Solomon.
Denise, 66, and Stacey, 34, got into a fistfight during a live episode that aired in June, with the actress later insisting it was not a dispute between them.
However, during a new podcast interview, Denise hinted at tensions between her and her fellow cast members, especially the younger panelists joining the show.
Speaking on Olivia Attwood’s podcast So Wrong It’s Right, she said: ‘I’m always happy to have new blood because we get bored of each other.
“But I’ve always been skeptical when younger people come along because sometimes they might have a great life story but they’re not ready to talk about it yet or they’re too worried about what the public is going to say.”
Denise Welch has taken a not-so-subtle dig at her “younger” co-stars on Loose Women following an on-air row with fellow panellist Stacey Solomon (pictured at the time in June)
Denise, 66, and Stacey, 34, got into a fistfight during a live episode that aired in June, with the actress later insisting it was not a feud between the pair (pictured at the time in June).
Revealing behind-the-scenes discussions, he added: ‘Then they’ll be in a meeting saying ‘I’m not going to talk about that’, and it’s kind of like, ‘What are you going to talk about then?’
Stacey, who joined in 2016, is one of the youngest members of the panel, alongside co-stars Frankie Bridge, 35, and Katie Piper, 40.
During the debate, Stacey came to the defence of people who have been working from home since the Covid pandemic.
But Denise felt the country was “paralysed” because staff had “disappeared” from the workplace.
Stacey replied: “They’re not missing because they’re working from home,” but Denise insisted: “But where are they, Stace?”
Stacey went on to say that the pandemic had shown how many people were able to do “an adequate job, if not better, from home.”
The duo failed to come to an agreement over the dispute and viewers noticed the palpable tension at home.
Denise later shot down any rumours of a feud, saying: ‘We didn’t agree on something, it was about young people and work ethic and since Covid, has Gen Z become a bit more lazy and entitled? It was one of those loose women things.’
‘Stacey said something about nurses and the NHS that provoked a big reaction, and I really agreed with her.’
However, during a new podcast interview, Denise hinted at tensions between her and her co-stars, especially the younger panelists joining the show.
The row between Denise and Stacey is not the first time the mother of two, including 1975 singer Matty Healy, has been involved in an on-air war of words.
Loose Women descended into chaos last year after Denise and co-star Jane Moore got into a heated argument over Prince Harry.
The panel was discussing a leaked extract from his upcoming biography Spare, in which the Duke of Sussex accused his brother, Prince William, of physical assault.
Denise furiously defended Harry and declared herself part of “team Harry and Meghan”, but was met with resistance from Jane, who called her accusations “hurtful”.
In his book, The Duke of Sussex describes a fight that ended with the Prince of Wales grabbing him by the collar and throwing him to the ground, smashing a dog bowl with his back. William reportedly declared: “I didn’t attack you, Harold.”
Denise told Jane she found it “strange” that she was “so against Harry and Meghan” given her years working as a royal correspondent.
“Why shouldn’t Harry speak his mind, Jane? I think he had to walk away from a family, they did it behind his back,” she said.
Jane interrupted, arguing that Harry was just looking to “make money” before Denise replied: “Jane, you talked to me about interrupting.”
“The fact is that the Royal Family makes quite a lot of money,” he continued.
“They’ve been leaking stories. We know they have. As soon as Meghan was seen as the People’s Princess, it was game over, because William and Kate have to stay in those positions.
‘Meghan was in those rooms on the world stage with charities, she didn’t just do it when she married Harry.
“I think you can do whatever you want. Tell your story because I think it’s absolutely the worst thing that’s ever happened to them.”
“Tell your story, but don’t sell it. Is it blind support or do you accept that they have made some mistakes?” Jane replied.