Alan Carr has taken a swipe at Loose Women over its campaigning for National Television Award votes. The comedian said the ITV show’s repeated appeals felt “a bit desperate”.
His comments follow Denise Welch’s departure from Loose Women after 25 years. Alan’s friend left the panel to concentrate on acting and pursue other opportunities.
Alan shared his verdict during a conversation with comedian Lee Peart on their Bottoms Up podcast. A clip of the exchange appeared on TikTok this week.
@boottomsupmomentsclips88 Loose Women NTA Gaffe_ Anti-Vote Strategy Revealed!#AlanCarr #PodcastUK #LeePeart #TheMaskedSinger #BottomsUpShow #BottomsUp #UKTikTok #BritishComedy ♬ original sound – Bottoms Up_ Moments Clips
Alan Carr takes aim at Loose Women NTA campaigning
Discussing the programme’s attempts to secure viewers’ votes, Alan said: “Remember when Loose Women are nominated for an NTA, every day, every ad break, I mean, a bit desperate.
“I’m just saying, we all love Loose Women, but a bit desperate.”
Lee, who previously worked as the programme’s warm-up act, agreed with him. He claimed staff had asked him to encourage the studio audience to vote before filming began.
He said: “I agree. You know, when I was their warm-up, they asked me to go out before the show to get people to vote.”
Alan then asked: “Physically forced them to vote?”
Lee replied: “On the phones. I said, this is not my job, I won’t do it.”
Alan made clear that he still had affection for Loose Women. However, his remarks singled out the frequency of the programme’s on-air voting appeals.
Denise Welch leaves Loose Women after 25 years
The podcast exchange emerged shortly after news of Denise’s exit. She had become one of the ITV daytime programme’s most recognisable panellists during her long association with the show.
An unnamed source told The Sun that the departure marked “the end of an era”. The source claimed Denise wanted to focus on acting, which they described as her “first great love”.
They also said she had attracted a new following over the previous 18 months, particularly among Gen Z and LGBTQIA+ audiences. According to the source, fashion shoots and social media offers had opened up further opportunities for her.
The source added that Denise would find it difficult to say goodbye to her colleagues, but felt the time had come to pursue those ambitions.
Loose Women faces another major change
Loose Women launched in 1999, with Denise making her first guest appearance the following year. She later became a regular alongside panellists including Coleen Nolan, Jane Moore and Janet Street-Porter.
The format brings together four women from entertainment and journalism. They interview celebrity guests, share stories from their own lives and debate the day’s talking points.
The programme has also introduced newer faces over the past five years as part of efforts to modernise its line-up, according to The Sun. Denise’s exit now removes one of the people most closely associated with its long-running panel.
Alan stopped short of dismissing Loose Women itself and stressed that he loved the show. His criticism instead focused firmly on how hard it pushes for NTA votes when nominated.
Read more: Loose Women star Sherrie Hewson dishes dirt on show following Denise Welch’s exit
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