Denise Welch

The Loose Women favourite chats snoring, stress and survival

Why did you reveal in live videos on Twitter your recent period of depression?

I’ve talked openly about my depression for 31 years. It began after I gave birth to my son, Matty (Healy, singer in The 1975), 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. I thought that, 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.

Your new book is about your battle with depression – what do you hope it will achieve?

Those who suffer from depression will understand my story, and those who don’t will hopefully learn how to understand. I consider anyone who comes through severe clinical depression as a survivor. Writing the book was hard because it took me back to dark times. I realised how many wonderful moments were ruined for me, but I still look back on my life as a happy one.

What does your husband mean to you?

Everything. He’s the man of my dreams. We’ve been married for seven years and are a team. 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. I certainly wasn’t looking for a younger man but as soon as we met, that was it. He’s an old soul and tells me every day how gorgeous I am, so it’s cool.

How bad is your snoring problem?

I talked about it on Loose 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! I’m currently having tests and they suspect it might be a huge Vitamin B12 deficiency as my tongue is slightly swollen, which could affect my breathing.

How do you look after your wellbeing?

I put my 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 judgment and be able to say no, but always in a kind way.

Lincoln tells me every day how gorgeous Iam