Denise: ‘If we lose our humour now, we’re doomed!’
LooseWomen’s Denise Welch urges us to keep calm and carry on in these strange, uncertain times…
Geordie actress and longstanding Loose Women panellist Denise Welch, 61, was recently accused of being a ‘corona denier’, after attempting to alleviate our anxiety surrounding Covid-19 with a touch of light-hearted humour.
Denise was criticised online after sharing a spoof video of a group of men partying, supposedly while their wives were ‘in quarantine’ – and for criticising Boris Johnson’s comment that families ‘would lose loved ones’ as ‘irresponsible’.
‘Too many people like yourself have been down playing this impending hell,’ said one Twitter user.
‘Get real,’ wrote another. But the mum-of-two, who is always open about her own mental health issues, argued on the panel show that humour is her way of coping with the pandemic – and that it should be ours, too.
‘Of course, we’re all worried – but especially for those who suffer mental anxiety. How am I trying to cope while I am well? With humour. If we lose our sense of humour, we are doomed. It’s all we’ve got, at this point,’ she told viewers. Sadly, Denise’s appearance was one of Loose Women’s last episodes, before it was forced to come off-air. She added, ‘If you do have to spend some time at home, try to find the right place to do so. Stay hydrated and eat well. My hubby, Lincoln, and I are using this time to try to eat better, and get as many vegetables as we can.’
The former Corrie star also suggested that switching off from the news now and again could see an improvement in our mental wellbeing.
‘Try to turn off the internet – it can drive you crazy. We know that this could go on for a long time – but we also don’t know that. At the end of the news broadcasts, they should then start talking about the people that are surviving the virus – like the lady who just turned 103! We need entertainment in this time.’
Of course, we know the situation is no laughing matter. But if anything can get us through this darkest of hours, it’s our humour. Laughter, after all, is the best medicine…
‘At the end of the news broadcasts, they should talk about survivors’