Don’t be defined by a number. If you want to wear a bikini, go for it!
After a rocky road with alcoholism and depression, Denise Welch is healthier and happier than ever. GABRIELLE FAGAN finds out more
DENISE WELCH is radiating health and happiness, and looking far younger than her 61 years. Her obvious contentment and newfound confidence has been hardwon – but there’s plenty to celebrate.
The Loose Women panellist and former Coronation Street star, previously said her life was “spiralling out of control”, due to problems with alcohol.
Now, she’s celebrating eight years of sobriety with her husband, artist Lincoln Townley, 47, and says their marriage has brought her serenity. She attributes her health and figure to following a LighterLife weight loss plan (for which she is now an ambassador).
“Personally, I think age gets a bad rap because I feel more confident in myself now than I ever did in my 40s and 50s,” says warm, down-to-earth Denise, during a characteristically candid chat from her home in Wilmslow, Cheshire.
“I’ve taken all the bad things out of my life and my mental illness doesn’t make as many visits as it did, so I just feel more in control.”
Seven years ago, Denise lost two stone and has kept the weight off.
“I love the way I look now. I’m around a size 12 and although I may have a bit of a wobbly tum and cellulite, I don’t think I look bad for 61. I’m certainly not a supermodel but I’m making the best of myself,” she says.
Here, Denise opens up about coping with tough times, snoring, and her mission to help others affected by depression...
What effect has your weight-loss had?
IT’S been brilliant because extra weight affected my breathing, contributing to my osteoarthritis flaring up, and as I have a latent back problem I need to avoid pressure on it. Once I lost the excess pounds, I lost those symptoms.
I feel proud of those shots of me in a bikini that I put on social media, because before if I looked slim in a bikini, it was because of all the bad things that kept me slim – drinking and smoking – whereas now I may have a wobbly tummy and cellulite but I’m healthier than I’ve ever been.
Also I hope I inspire women my age that they don’t need to be defined by a number on a birth certificate, and if they want to wear bikinis they should go for it!
Why did you lay bare your recent period of depression in live videos on Twitter ?
I’VE talked openly about my depression for 31 years – it began after I gave birth to my son, Matty, and over the years I’ve gone through some incredibly dark times and suffered a lot of pain with it.
Last September, what I call my ‘Unwelcome Visitor’ came calling and I thought as a mental health advocate, I can’t just show the lovely happy things in my life, I have to show the bad times as well. I hope I can help others going through it and raise awareness.
I never know when an episode is going to happen, but when it does, it’s like all the colour goes out of my life. I can’t experience emotion, and the people I normally love being with, I don’t want to be around.
It’s cruel, isolating and, in the main, invisible. A lot of people don’t have what I’ve had – a family and friends who’ve been incredibly supportive and got me through
– and that’s when you read tragic headlines.
Your new book, The Unwelcome Visitor, is out on June 25 – what do you hope it’ll achieve? THOUGH we have come a long way, this debilitating illness is still shockingly misunderstood.
Those who suffer from depression will understand my story, and those who don’t will hopefully learn how to understand.
I consider anyone who survives severe clinical depression a survivor.
I was asked to write
(the book) after publishers saw my videos, but writing it was hard because it took k me back to some dark times. I realised how many wonderful moments were ruined for me, but I still look back on my life as a happy one.
Experiencing depression has taught me to really enjoy the periods in between. I’m very grateful for normality – I’m not striving for ultra happiness.
We live in a world of ‘compare and despair’ on the internet and social media, but actually it’s really about feeling normal, going through a day not feeling poorly, and appreciating every day.
What does Lincoln mean to you?
EVERYTHING. He’s the man of my dreams. We’ve been married for seven years and are a team. We’ve come through some very bumpy times, gave up alcohol together and supported each other all the way.
When I first realised I had fallen in love with him, I worried he hadn’t seen me go through an episode of depression and wondered how he would react.
He was absolutely incredible, with such empathy for me from moment one.
Do you ever notice the 15-year age gap?
NEITHER of us ever think about it. Lincoln has always liked older women. He’s an old soul and tells me every day how gorgeous I am, so it’s cool.
How bad is your snoring s problem?
IT I TALKED about it on Loose Loos Women because it’s easy to dismiss it as a joke, but not only is it affecting my life but also Lincoln’s life, it’s so bad.
I’ve measured just how loud it is with a snoring app, the average is 25 decimals – mine is 94! A friend staying with us recently thought there was an earthquake when he heard me in the middle of the night!
Lincoln is incredibly tolerant and sweet about it and only moves to the spare room if it’s really bad. It definitely makes me more tired.
How do you look after your health and wellbeing?
I PUT my wellbeing and mental health first these days.
Sometimes I’ll have to turn down a really lovely job because I know it’ll increase my stress levels and not be good for me.
Lincoln has taught me to stand up for myself a little more, and given me the confidence to value my own judgement and be able to say no, but always in a kind way.
When I was younger, I was frightened to say, ‘I’m not well enough to come into work because I have depression’, so I forced myself to go in. Now, I’m kinder to myself.
■ Denise Welch is supporting LighterLife’s Live Your Dream campaign. Visit lighterlife.com for more information.