Loose Women star Denise Welch has opened up about a debilitating bout of vertigo that has left her struggling with everyday tasks – and even stunned her co-star Kelly Brook.
Daniel Windham Assistant Editor
12:36, 09 Dec 2025
Denise Welch(Image: ITV)
Denise Welch has revealed details about a crippling episode of vertigo that has made daily activities a struggle—leaving her Loose Women colleague Kelly Brook astounded. The 67-year-old presenter, who has been a fixture on the ITV daytime programme for over ten years, discussed the “horrible” experience during an on-air conversation about health issues that many endure in silence.
During the Loose Women podcast, Denise started by describing how disruptive the ailment has proved. “Yeah, but the other thing that I’ve got — and Pauline, one of our makeup artists, has it as well — because my vertigo is here at the moment,” she explained.
“People think vertigo is just like fear of heights and everything. It is, but real vertigo is this spinning. So not only am I spinning all the time at night, which is just horrible.”
Kelly appeared taken aback by the disclosure, confessing she hadn’t realised how serious the condition could be. “Oh, is that vertigo? Oh, I get that — I thought that was just anxiety,” she replied, amazed to discover that her own experiences might be connected to the same disorder.
Denise went on to outline the daily impact it has on her life, revealing that even something as straightforward as lying down has become a carefully orchestrated routine. “If I lie down at night, I have to do it very slowly,” she said, reports the Mirror.
Kaye Adams, Kelly Brook, Denise Welch and Myleene Klass(Image: Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock)
“I’m conditioned to do it now. Turning to my left I’m all right. If I turn to my right, it’s… I can count on it — one, two, three, four, spin — and it’s like a roller coaster.”
The vertigo has also made journeys progressively more challenging. “What it means is that now, when I get in a car, especially electric cars, I am so sick,” she said.
“I’ve got my sickness tablets, but of course they make me drowsy, so then I’m moaning about being too drowsy. And I’ve got my beta blockers for the anxiety. I mean, honestly.”
For devoted viewers, Denise’s frankness comes as little shock. During her tenure on Loose Women, she has earned widespread acclaim for openly addressing her personal circumstances and wellbeing, including her prolonged struggle with depression.
She has discussed publicly her experience of episodes she previously characterised as “the unwelcome visitor,” and has utilised her position to confront the stigma surrounding mental health conditions.
Last year, Denise revealed to the Loose Women panel that she hadn’t been well for the past couple of weeks and explained her recent absence from the programme was due to her depression making an “unwelcome” return. Denise revealed: “Yeah, so I had a really rough two weeks, which I’m still in a bit. I just did a podcast and a big article saying how I’ve been free for five years of clinical depression.
Denise Welch(Image: ITV)
“Sadly, the unwelcome visitor paid me another visit, so I’ve not been well for a couple of weeks.”
In addition to her struggles with depression, Denise has also shared that she was diagnosed with ADHD. The diagnosis came in 2023, prompted by fellow panellist Nadia Sawalha encouraging her to get tested.
She expressed that understanding she has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder has helped her make sense of certain behaviours, challenges, and emotional patterns she’s experienced since childhood. She explained that the condition has impacted everything from her ability to focus to how she handles stress.
