Loose Women presenter Denise Welch has revealed her domineering Hollyoaks character is inspired by a true crime documentary.
She joined as Trish Minniver early this year, and says her “bully” role came from Athlete A, a documentary about an abusive gymnastics coach.
“On one hand, Trish is camp and a bit of fun, but on the other she’s incredibly passive aggressive, a narcissist, and a bit of a bully,” Denise, 62, tells the Daily Star.
“Trish’s storylines were inspired by Athlete A, where loads of gymnasts came out and said the coaches had bullied them. Hollyoaks has diluted that story and put it into the form of Trish and how she behaves at the village’s dance school.
(Image: Handout)
“I’ve seen documentaries and spoken to a lot of people over the years who have had mothers who are like that and we’ve also seen it coming out in recent storylines with the way she behaves towards her daughter Maxine.”
If she hadn’t become an actress, Denise, who has also starred in Coronation Street and Waterloo Road, says her “dream career” would have been a forensic scientist.
She adds: “I’m a true crime aficionado. I am really interested in people and how they tick.
(Image: Claire Grogan Photography)
If I were more intelligent, I would retrain in psychology or forensics. That’s my secret dream job.”
Now the star is combining her presenting skills with her passion for true crime in a new documentary series.
Starting next Monday on Crime+Investigation, Survivors With Denise Welch sees her meet those who have endured terrible crimes and discover how they rebuilt their lives.
Interviewees include Sammy Woodhouse, who helped expose the Rotherham child sexual abuse scandal; Bethany Marchant who was assaulted and had a noose tied around her neck by her violent boyfriend; and Tony Hannington, a survivor of domestic cruelty at the hands of his wife Tracy.
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While Denise is “as compelled as anyone else” about the stories of perpetrators, she’s always been more interested in what happens to victims’ families and the survivors of crime.
She says: “I always say to my husband Lincoln: ‘I want to talk to the victims and see how they’ve survived this destructive thing that’s happened’.
“That’s how this show came about. I’ve been involved since the project’s infancy, and being able to work on it has been an absolute dream. It’s a real celebration of how these people have survived and moved on with their lives.”
And Denise believes her 32 years of working as an advocate for mental health helped the interviewees feel more comfortable with telling their stories publicly.
(Image: Getty Images for BAFTA LA)
She has struggled with depression, anxiety and addiction, and also suffered from severe post-natal depression that saw her on the verge of psychosis after giving birth to Matty Healy, frontman of the band The 1975, in 1989.
“Because of this, I think the people I spoke to knew I wouldn’t try to catch them out or try and apportion blame to them and ask if there’s something they could have done differently to avoid this happening to them,” says Denise.
“I felt my mental health experiences made me a better listener and allowed me to give them a platform. These people showed a real inner strength, and I think these stories are going to be really powerful for people to hear, especially during this time where many of us have struggled in lockdown.”
(Image: ITV)
Denise has been in a longstanding feud with Piers Morgan after he made controversial statements about her – and other celebrities’ – mental health.
When asked about their row, Denise insists she doesn’t want the interview “hijacked by his name” but reveals when she sees people with clinical depression not being believed, she turns into “the Hulk”.
“So many people are let down by the mental health system, which hasn’t been properly supported by any government,” says Denise.
“Depression is depression, and whether you’re in a palace or a tenement block, your surroundings mean nothing.
“I had money, a husband who loved me, a healthy child and I was plunged into severe clinical depression.
“So when I see people’s experiences negated and maybe not believed, I am like the Hulk and anger comes out.”
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Denise has also been outspoken about the coronavirus lockdown on social media and as a presenter on Loose Women and was even wrongly accused of being a “Covid denier” by Piers and some Twitter users.
But she insists her stance is due to how lockdown has affected people’s mental health.
She says: “I think people with big platforms should be talking about the future and giving people hope.
“I’m not saying give people false promises, but the mental health tsunami is the new pandemic and that is something that was happening way before lockdown.”
One show bringing joy to people during the most recent lockdown was RuPaul’s Drag Race UK – and Denise says she’d love to be a guest judge.
Denise is friends with some of the show’s stars including 2019 finalist Baga Chipz, and attended last year’s RuPaul’s DragCon with Matty.
She says: “I would love to be a judge.
“Everybody knows my dad (Vin Welch) used to do a bit of drag and it’s a world I’ve always been immersed in, so if anyone from the show is listening I’d love to add that to my tick list!”.
● Survivors With Denise Welch is showing on Mondays from next week at 9pm on Crime+Investigation
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
