Denise Welch fought back tears on Loose Women as she revealed the truth behind her extended absence from the programme. 

The TV star, 66, who has been open about her mental health in the past, appeared on Tuesday’s instalment of the ITV show alongside co-stars Ruth Langsford, Janet Street-Porter and Judi Love.

Denise was last seen live on Loose Women at the end of November, and then again for a pre-recorded segment about postnatal depression for the programme’s 25-hour talkathon the following month. 

Addressing her absence from TV screens since, the soap star emotionally told how she realised something was wrong after a busy month of working throughout November.

She said how she first knew something wasn’t right when she accidentally drove up a one-way street and became overwhelmed by feelings of anxiety in the weeks afterwards.

Denise told the panel: ‘It was so black, so dark, so quickly.’ 

Denise Welch fought back the tears on Loose Women as she revealed the truth behind her extended absence from show

She told how began to suffer with panic attacks and her husband Lincoln tried to take her commitments out of her diary, including her theatre stint and her own charity ball. 

After starting work on a pantomime, Denise recalled how she had collapsed in her H๏τel foyer within three days, adding: ‘I said to my agent you’ve got to pull me out.’

The star then fought back tears as she told how she overcame the episode and managed to put the feelings behind her after rest and recuperating.

‘I’ve made a recovery from this episode,’ she emotionally told her co-stars.

However, in another blow to her health, Denise was then rushed to hospital last week with acute peritonitis – an infection of the stomach lining – shortly after returning to the UK.

Denise explained: ‘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.

‘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!”‘

Denise has been absent from the spotlight since she pulled out of a pantomime role, where she had been due to play Captain Hook at the Nottingham Theatre Royal over Christmas.

The 66-year-old appeared on the ITV show for the first time in a couple of months after suffering with her mental health 

Read More Katie Piper oozes elegance in a ruffled ballgown as she turns heads at the TV Choice Awards

She was replaced by actor Richard Winsor, 43, and went on to also pull out of her own annual charity ball for GEM Appeal at Kimpton Clocktower H๏τel at the end of November.

Just weeks before her absence, Denise had opened up about her mental health while on the Loose Women panel with Kaye Adams, 62, Janet Street Porter, 78, and Judi Love, 44. 

‘I’ve had a really tough two weeks, which I’m still in a bit,’ she admitted.

‘I’d just done a podcast and article saying how I’d been free for five ears of clinical depression and I hope that something happened before I had a baby, reversed. 

‘But sadly the unwelcomed visitor paid me another visit. 

‘I’ve not been well for a couple of weeks, the reason why we’ve alluded to it is because we do all these things like Britain get talking, it’s good to talk. 

‘Sometimes people still find it isn’t always good to talk for them.  

‘I just wanted to come on here because, what I need when I’m poorly, I need for my friends to just know I need time to get well…

Just weeks before her absence, Denise had opened up about her mental health while on the Loose Women panel

‘The people I work with, to say if you want to come to work, come to work, if you don’t, like last week I didn’t come I know my illness more than anyone.’

She added: ‘I’ve been free of the morning fear for a long time, because this illness is like this, I can be ok today, tomorrow I can be absolutely terrible and it’s isolating. 

‘The NHS still describe depression as ongoing sadness, sadness is something you have a result of having something making you sad. it’s a health emotion. 

‘Depression does exactly what it says on the tin.’

Loose Women airs weekdays from 12:30pm on ITV.