Denise Welch opens up about her 'infidelities' in past relationships

Denise Welch opened up about her 'infidelities' in past relationships during Thursday's episode of Loose Women. 

The TV personality, 66, joined the other panellists Kaye Adams, Olivia Attwood and Nadia Sawalha, as they discussed whether society judges women who cheat less harshly than men.

Denise, who is married to her third husband Lincoln Townley, 51, explained: 'People feel generally that women cheat for emotional reasons and there's an absolute valid reason why they cheat. 

'I do agree I think there are double standards, however when I admitted to my own infidelities I was treated like literally the wicked witch of the west, certainly by the media in this country and by a lot of the public.'

Denise added: 'Probably quite rightly so, but I think that there are double standards.'

Meanwhile, Olivia revealed: 'I will wholeheartedly admit that me and my friendship group, we have double standards. 

'If we're talking about a scenario that's happened on a night out and someone's flirting with a boy or whatever.

'The next day they go "I shouldn't have really been speaking to him," we all go "listen, you've had a really big week at work, you've been up to your eyes in it and he's not been paying you any attention".

'On the reverse, if we heard one of the guys had done that we would be like "disgusting, he's an animal" but then we laugh at ourselves because we know we do it.'

The Loose Women star has been married to her artist husband Lincoln since 2013.

Before this, she was married to Tim Healy between 1988 and 2012 and they share two sons together - The 1975 star Matty, 35, and Louis, 23.

In 2020, Tim shared his fury over his ex-wife Denise discussing their private life on Loose Women in a now-deleted Tweet.

In the episode in question, the former Coronation Street actress claimed that there were 'infidelities on both sides' during their 24-year marriage.

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She admitted that they 'hung on too long' to their relationship and made each other 'miserable'.

The chat came about after the TV personality was shown a past clip of herself debating with Sherrie Hewson about cheating. 

In the footage, Denise claimed that 'emotional infidelity' is worse than 'sexual infidelity', she said: 'A sexual infidelity could just be behind a bike shed or something when you are a little bit drunk.

'I'm not condoning it, I am just saying I'd rather that than if my partner had met someone privately and got feelings for that person.'

Tim was left furious over the discussion and took to Twitter after the episode aired to share his anger in a now-deleted tweet.

Lashing out at his ex-wife Denise, he wrote: 'Just watched yesterday's loose Women. Denise in her day was talking about how it was ok to have casual sex behind the bike shed even though married.

'Day after day year on year she discussed our private life. Long suffering Tim Healy I am no more xx.'

However, they seem to have patched things up since as they enjoyed a cosy Christmas dinner together last year, with their sons and Denise's current husband Lincoln.