Denise Welch shared an emotional video on Instagram on Thursday, where she encouraged her followers to "keep smiling" during the hard times. The footage was taken from inside the star's colourful kitchen at her home in Cheshire, where she is isolating during the coronavirus pandemic. The Loose Women panellist addressed her fans: "Woke up this morning feeling sad, overwhelmed, anxious, like millions of people over the world probably have today. This is just a little message to say, put on a bit of Dionne Warwick, realise that you can only do what you can do to change this dark world. You can't do everything on your own."
VIDEO: Denise Welch shared an emotional video from inside her kitchen in Cheshire
The former Coronation Street actress went on to sing the poignant words of Dionne's song, including the lines: "Keep smiling, keep shining, knowing you can always count on me, for sure. That's what friends are for." Denise's followers were quick to comment on the post, with one writing: "Thank you, I woke up feeling sad and overwhelmed and it helped so much to know I'm not the only one because I feel like I'm the only one failing," while another wrote: "Thanks Denise, we do all have these days." A third added: "Well said. Some days are just much harder than others for no particular reason."
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The Loose Women star with husband Lincoln Townley
Denise has been an advocate for mental health for over a decade and has been incredibly open about her own struggles with depression. The TV presenter first identified her postpartum psychosis and clinical depression following the birth of her son, Matthew Healey. The star has done a lot of charitable work to help raise awareness of mental illness, and in 2017 she produced and starred in an award-winning short film called Black Eyed Susan, which portrayed depression as an unwelcome visitor, played by her son Louis Healey.
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In 2018, Denise penned a candid letter to her 16-year-old self, where she touched upon her mental health journey, which was shared in Happiful magazine. In it, she wrote: "I wish I could prevent the depression that will descend after childbirth. But you must realise that this is an illness like any other. Be as kind to yourself as possible. Take time off work - they’ll survive without you. Don't self-medicate. It will take you down a very long, dark road and it’s very hard to find your way home. Your 'unwelcome visitor' will continue to make uninvited calls, but he will always leave and your life in between will be happy, fulfilling, rewarding and most of all, full of love. You're a tough cookie, and I'm proud of who you are now and who you will become."
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