Loose Women star Denise Welch has opened up about her ADHD diagnosis, and revealed she actually discovered she had the condition thanks to one of her co-stars.
Denise first revealed her ADHD diagnosis back in 2023. But over the years she hasn’t actually spoken about it that much.
However, in a new interview on Elizabeth Day’s How To Fail podcast, she revealed more about how it has affected her. Denise also opened up about how she discovered she had it.
Denise Welch discovered her ADHD through co-star
As it turns out, Denise never assumed she had ADHD. Instead, Denise was diagnosed after Nadia Sawalha, her co-star on Loose Women, suspected that she and her daughters should get tested.
After Nadia spoke to their producer, Sally, she was asked if she would mind being filmed so the show could use it as a piece, to which she agreed.
But when the company who produced the test was contacted, they weren’t expecting to be testing Nadia.
Denise revealed: “When they mentioned this to ADHD360, this company, and said: ‘We have about 20 Loose Women altogether, some work on the show more than others, but across the board, probably around 20. One of our girls suspects she has has ADHD.’
“They responded: ‘Is it Denise Welch?’ I said: ‘What the?’ and the other women went: ‘Oh come on Den, come on.'”
Denise ‘only just’ realising how ADHD is affecting her
Because of that conversation, Denise agreed to get tested and as a result was diagnosed with ADHD. And it seems Denise is still coming to terms with how to deal with it. Following a breakdown last year, Denise realised she has underestimated the impact of it for a while.
She explained: “I did the whole thing and needless to say, I was diagnosed ADHD. It’s only now, on my second attempt at medication, which came after a breakdown last year, first in five years… It’s only now that I have realised how I had completely underestimated the impact of ADHD on me, running parallel with my depression.”
Denise can’t help but wonder “if” she’d have realised about her ADHD years ago, it could have changed some things for her.
She said: “If maybe I had shown signs before I had Matthew. If maybe there was more money spent on women’s health… They would find a huge link between ADHD and postnatal depression, severe postnatal depression.”
Denise Welch’s depression relapse
Back in May, Denise revealed on Loose Women that she had a relapse in her depression battle, while on a trip to Los Angeles.
The 65-year-old panelist told her co-stars: “The second half, when the sun came out, was absolutely gorgeous. But the first half, sadly, was blighted by a return of my unwelcome visitor. After five years clear of that illness and not having any symptoms, I had a breakdown before Christmas, which I talked about.
“I had to pull out of the pantomime. It was only ever the second time I have ever had to do that in my career.”
She continued: “Then I was well, and I went off to LA excited. Two days in, I went to a market to meet a friend. I was paying for a little trinket and suddenly I got the panic and the tingling in my palms and the metallic taste in my mouth. Within a minute, the depression was on me. That’s how mine comes on.”
Read more: Loose Women stars Denise Welch and Janet Street Porter clash in tense English flag debate
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