Denise Welch's secret battle with numbers that left her 'throwing up' amid depression fight

Denise Welch, beloved Loose Women panellist, mental health advocate and acclaimed actress, has publicly battled many life challenges - from depression to alcohol addiction. Thankfully, she overcame these struggles years ago with the support of her husband, artist Lincoln Townley. However, one battle Denise hasn't extensively discussed is her secret struggle with numbers, which led to financial difficulties.

Now, as an ambassador for National Numeracy, Denise is tackling this issue head-on and sharing her journey, says OK!. And she wants people to know two things: struggling doesn't make you "thick", and help is available. The candid 66 year old star, who shares sons Louis, 23, an actor, and The 1975 frontman Matty, 35, with ex-husband and fellow actor Tim Healy, is known for her brutal honesty. Happily, she tells us, she's in a great place right now, both professionally and personally.

After years of mental health struggles culminating in a breakdown in 2019, she's never felt better. , reports OK!. "If I could bottle how I'm feeling right now, I'd be a billionaire," she chuckles, speaking to us from her Loose Women dressing room at ITV. "I always knew the origin of my illness was hormonal, probably triggered by childbirth - it took 20 years to get anyone to accept that. I've been shouting from the rooftops about our mental health since 1991."

"In 2019, I had what we used to call a 'breakdown' - I get tingling in my hands, the colour drains from my life, I can feel it coming on. And I decided for the first time to chronicle that episode, in real time. I did just that for three days and when I came out of bed days later, it had gone viral. I'd even been on News At 10. It resonated."

That incident gave rise to Denise's book, The Unwelcome Visitor, and she's since felt a significant shift, which she thinks may be connected to becoming post-menopausal. "I haven't had an episode since. I'll never, ever say it's 'gone'. All I know is for the first time in 35 years, I don't wake up frightened of my illness. Something righted itself. I don't wake up with a subconscious dread, the constant narrative, 'Do I feel OK? S**t, it's dark today, how's that going to affect me...' That's gone."

Denise is also clearly smitten with her hubby of more than a decade, Lincoln. She gushes that despite sounding "corny", at 51, he’s the "bedrock" of her world. "I feel so fortunate to have met him later in life. He's my best friend, we make each other laugh and we've got each other's backs. The only thing I can thank alcohol for is that we met each other in a club late at night."

Denise Welch has spoken up about the challenges she and her partner Lincoln Townley have faced, including overcoming negative media scrutiny and the loss of her mother. "We overcame all the negative press we got, the loss of my mother early on in our relationship could have set me back drinking again, but with the strength of Lincoln it didn't. We live a life we love. Life is good. I'm filming two new TV shows at the minute. I have a beautiful family, including my grandson. Lincoln and I are each other's anchors."

Denise gushes with pride when talking about her children's professional strides, mentioning Louis stepping into the role for the Stranger Things West End play and Matty finding success as The 1975's frontman whilst working on his sixth album. She reflects, "Yes, Matty's taking his foot off the gas of touring for a couple of years," and shares her joy of spending time in LA, where he resides: "He's based in LA, which is great as we love LA."

As for being a grandmother to baby Theo, Denise can't help but express her deep affection: "Theo is just this joyful child who we are totally besotted with. You don't expect the outpouring of love you'll feel for a grandchild. This tiny little dot who's only been around for a year has changed our lives and I've never seen anything like how Lincoln is with him. When you're a blended family, you have to share the little one out quite a lot, so it's like, 'We'll have him! '".

When she's not doting on her grandson, Denise is still flexing her acting muscles and sharing her candid views on Loose Women. What keeps her coming back to the show? It's the love and respect she receives from the team, according to Denise. She also feels like she's matured a lot while being on-air. " Loose Women has honestly seen me through the good, the bad and the very ugly, and now the good again. I'm very grateful for the platform it's given me. Not many older women have a voice - this is one of the only shows in the country which reveres them. We have women from 24 to 84 - where else do you get that range of opinion and life experience? " Denise revealed.

In addition to working on two hush-hush TV projects, former Corrie star Denise has been unveiled as the new ambassador for National Numeracy - a cause that resonates with her, having struggled with numbers all her life. The charity reached out to Denise after watching her discuss the issue on Loose Women. "I'm no authority, but I just share my own experience," she admits. "I've always been terrified of maths and numbers. It's plagued my life, my normal life. It renders me fearful to this day and got me into very sticky situations with money. I feel very strongly about National Numeracy trying to take the 'fear' out of maths, so if I can help by sharing my story, I will."

Denise's struggles began in the classroom. As a child, she was a "speed reading champion" with a passion for English, but maths terrified her. She recalls that seeing double maths on her timetable would make her "go and vomit in the toilets, just at the thought of it". Denise also had an unkind teacher who, she says, would "prey on those who were vulnerable".

"I hated it. My dad found numbers easy, so he wasn't forceful, but I remember him saying, 'Denise, if X equals Z, how can you not see? ' It felt like someone speaking in a foreign language. But these things weren't discussed back then. I lost a lovely job at a pub when I was 18 because we had to do mental maths. They loved me, but I took too long at the till, so they had to let me go."

As she grew older and entered the world of showbiz, Denise would only appear on quiz shows where she wouldn't be asked anything mathematical. Her fear of numbers started to impact her life. "There were mortgages, taxes, bills. I got myself into trouble early in my career, by burying my head in the sand." She acknowledges her fortune in having Lincoln, who excels in the area she struggles with, but confesses to previous feelings of shame. However, she's adamant that support is available for those facing similar challenges.

"Contact National Numeracy and they'll help you with basic skills," she advises. "Don't be ashamed if you're no good with numbers, because believe me, it ain't just you! And it doesn't mean you're not incredibly clever, which is what I used to think. Ask for help, because those bills won't go away, they'll just pile up." Now juggling a successful career and a happy home life, Denise has conquered her personal "elephant in the room" – her past embarrassment. Beaming with joy, she shares, "I'm happy. Life is good! " and reflects, "Isn't that all anyone can ask for?".