Denise Welch was called into Loose Women at the last minute after colleague Gloria Hunniford suffered a fall that left her so badly bruised she refused to appear on camera. And, in added heartbreak for the TV icon, the incident also forced Gloria to pull out of Sunday's Jubilee pageant.
Gloria was all set to join close friend Cliff Richard on one of the national treasure buses for the final show piece of the Queen's Jubilee celebrations, but had to cancel at the eleventh hour after a stumble at home, following an interview on the BBC. It was down to Monday's Loose Women host, Ruth Langsford to reveal all, as it was Denise rather than Gloria who sat next to her and colleagues Coleen Nolan and Sophie Morgan on the panel.
Ruth began: "Someone I was very sad not to see at the pageant yesterday was our own Gloria Hunniford, who was supposed to be on the national treasures bus with her great friend Sir Cliff Richard and was so looking forward to it and she was supposed to be on the panel today...thank you very much for Denise for stepping in, but sadly Gloria had a fall."
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Ruth continued: "She was actually being interviewed on the BBC on Saturday and then had a fall Saturday night. Couldn't go to the pageant, was absolutely devastated. She's fine, she is OK," as Coleen commented: "I'm so upset for her."
Gloria was well enough to ring into the show as Sir Cliff appeared as a guest in the studio. And it was during her brief phone chat the the famous broadcaster opened up about the extent of her injuries as Cliff said everyone at the pageant sent their love to her. Admitting she'd watched 'every frame' of the TV coverage with a few tears, Gloria said: "I look like I've done ten rounds with Mike Tyson and lost very badly."
Cliff joked: "I said to her Glo, if you didn't want to be on the bus it would have been very easy just to write to The Queen," adding: "It's something that can get better.
Gloria told the panel that she'd fallen right onto her face on a 'very hard floor,' breaking a bone in her face as a result and being left with grazes and a 'very full eye,' saying: "There was no way I was going to do a Skype call today let me tell you!"
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