Loose Women’s Denise Welch swiftly quashed the bizarre rumours that had circulated about her over the weekend.
As the ITV programme began on Monday, co-host Jane Moore humorously remarked on Denise’s presence, suggesting they were fortunate she could make it.
She exclaimed: “You had the nation in a little bit of a panic!” Denise then recounted to the audience how she found herself unexpectedly trending on Twitter during a relaxing Saturday spent watching a film.
A journalist friend reached out to her, questioning the veracity of an alarming article they stumbled upon.
The TV personality shared her confusion and concern, commenting: “An hour later, she panicked, and I started getting messages going, ‘just checking you’re ok’. I thought, what on earth are people talking about?!”
Upon reviewing the link sent by her friend, Denise discovered a fabricated story claiming she had vanished. Detailing the fake article, the ITV star said: “Denise Welch is worrying many of her fans that I’d gone missing in a hot air balloon over the Pyrenees and the Kent Police put out a thing that they were actively looking for me. Then the meme’s started.”
Amidst laughter from the studio audience, Denise revealed that one person photoshopped her into a hot air balloon with Mariah Carey. Meanwhile another prankster invented a concerned quote from Lady Gaga, reports the Mirror.
She added: “Then, it started trending in the US, where nobody knows me. There’s memes of Donald Trump being whispering to by his colleagues saying, ‘she’s still missing we need your help’. It was basically this massive story!”
Denise concluded by reflecting on the wild and unfounded narrative that had taken on a life of its own online.
She disclosed her bafflement over the origins of a fabricated story about her. When Jane asked about her family’s reaction to the article, it turned out they were less concerned than her friends.
Denise recounted: “My husband is in Singapore on business and my son lives in Los Angeles.
“They both apparently woke up to see, respectively, their mother and their wife missing over the Pyrenees in a hot air balloon and both went back to sleep!”
Her expression conveyed clear disapproval of their lackadaisical attitude, but she couldn’t help laughing about it. Jane responded with relief: “Well, we’re very glad you made it back today.”
To which Denise humorously retorted: “Thank you. I’m exhausted, but thank you.”