Loose Women’s Denise Welch has revealed that she was rushed to hospital after returning from holiday for a horrible infection that left her on ‘a drip for a week’.

The TV star opened up about her health setback on Tuesday’s Loose Women, revealing that after returning for holiday, she was rushed to hospital for acute peritonitis. The condition is an infection of the inner lining of your abdominal.

Denise returned to Loose Women today and opened up about her battle with depression before revealing that she ended up in hospital after flying back from a holiday in the Caribbean.

Speaking to her fellow Loose Women stars, Denise said: “I got back from a lovely holiday in the Caribbean last Saturday. All bronzed looking forward to coming on here and showing off my suntan. I got rushed into hospital on the Saturday with acute peritonitis – a perforated diverticulitis

Denise opened up about her health setback upon returning to Loose Women

“I’ve been in hospital for a drip for a week! They didn’t have to do surgery, they got it with antibiotics thankfully. As my mother said, ‘Take me to the knacker’s yard!’”

She added that she’s recovering but still feeling the effects. She said: “I’m eating and believe you me, what’s going on down there, I’m a Loose Women – believe you me!”

Denise had been previously speaking about her mental health, sharing that she “collapsed” before doing a pantomime performance in December. The former soap star pulled out of playing Captain Hook in the 2024 Peter Pan pantomime at Nottingham Theatre Royal due to ill health.

Denise recently opened up about her relationship with husband Lincoln Townley as the couple took part on Celebrity Hunted. “We do have a good laugh,” admitted Denise. “The thing with us is that we take our business very seriously, but we don’t take ourselves seriously.

“There’s a balance there, which really works because we have a good laugh. We find humour in so many things together. I always thought there wouldn’t be one person that I fancy and be able to laugh with like I laugh with my girlfriends or my gay best friends. But I managed to find that in Lincoln.

“I think laughter is very much a part of the success of our marriage and the very fact that I didn’t want to do Celebrity Hunted with anybody but my husband says it all.”