Denise Welch has received widespread support on social media, including plenty of kind messages from her Loose Women colleagues, after revealing that she'd reached the milestone of being 11 years sober on Tuesday.
Former Coronation Street and Waterloo Road actress Denise gave up the booze months after her win on Celebrity Big Brother in 2012 and has stayed sober ever since, being fully candid about her issues with drinking in the past and how it had a negative impact on her relationships with those closed to her."
On the say that she also sat on the Loose Women panel for the second time this week, Denise took to Instagram not long after cameras had rolled on the live episode to share too strikingly different photos of herself: one rom her drinking past and one from the present day and wrote: "1 yrs sober today!!! Giving up my disastrous relationship with alcohol changed my life, my husband's life and my children’s lives. Plus the lives of all who love me.
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"It wasn’t easy. Addiction is a cruel and frightening illness. But together @lincolntownley and I realised that we were destroying many lives including our own and we did it."
With a message of support for anyone others out there struggling with alcohol related issues, Denise, who will return to Newcastle on the Loose Women live tour later this year, added: "I now have a wonderful marriage that is the foundation of my life. Our kids are happy and I hope those of you struggling find the strength to stop.
"If alcohol no longer makes you happy, if your drinking makes others lives miserable it’s time to stop. There is help there if you need it."
Kind messages quickly flooded in for Denise, with Loose Women host Ruth Langsford commenting: "You’re amazing and such a great help to others" and co-star on the ITV talk show, Nadia Sawalha telling Denise: "I am in awe .. one day at a time for 11 years ! And look what it’s brought you ! So happy for you both."
Moved by the reaction her post, Denise took to the comments thread herself, writing: "I’m honestly so touched and overwhelmed by your comments and support. Thank you so much"
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