Denise Welch has revealed how she stepped in to 'look after' younger co-stars when she was one of the main cast members on Coronation Street.
Geordie actress Denise, already well known for roles in Byker Grove and Soldier, Soldier, saw her TV fame soar to a whole new level when she was cast as Natalie Horrocks in Corrie. Denise's on-screen alias quickly found herself at the centre of serious drama when Natalie had an affair with one of the street's most famous residents, Kevin Webster, behind his wife Sally's back.
The storyline majorly ruffled feathers amongst Coronation Street fans, with people coming up to Denise in the street to vent their opinions. And now she has opened up about how, while she herself, was at the centre of loads of attention due to Natalie's antics, she had concerns for the youngsters just starting their time on the long-running soap.
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Denise recalled her experiences of working on the show during a discussion on Loose Women this week, when she and her fellow panellists were asked by host Ruth Langsford 'Does success taste sweeter in later life?' As Denise started talking about how 23 million people use to watch Corrie when she was in the cast, a photo of a famous clash between Natalie and Rita (Barbara Knox) flashed up on screen.
Denise explained: "You became incredibly famous in a short space of time. I was in my late 30s when I went into that and I actually started a 'starter pack,' for the young people who went in there, because they would come in at 16 and 17, straight from school and within a month they were mobbed everywhere they went.
"And I didn't feel that they got enough support and then they didn't know who their friends were, they didn't know if boys liked them, because people might go 'oh first world problems,' but it actually mentally very hard for them. So I think success when you're older is easier to deal with."
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