Loose Women's Denise Welch reveals painful struggle that 'plagued her life'

, the beloved panellist, acclaimed actress, and advocate for , has faced her fair share of life's battles. While she's been open about her struggles with depression and past addiction to alcohol there's another challenge she hasn't spoken much about: her secret struggle with numbers, which once led to

Now, as an ambassador for National Numeracy, Denise is tackling this issue head-on and wants to encourage others by sharing her own experience. The star emphasises two major points: first, if you're struggling, it doesn't mean you're "thick"; and secondly, assistance is available.

Denise, 66, is now thriving in her career and personal life, enjoying a remarkable recovery from a serious mental health breakdown in 2019, and feeling the best she ever has.

Speaking to OK! Magazine sh said: "If I could bottle how I'm feeling right now, I'd be a billionaire," acknowledging her long-standing assertions about the origins of her mental health struggles. "I always knew the origin of my illness was hormonal, probably triggered by childbirth - it took 20 years to get anyone to accept that. I've been shouting from the rooftops about our mental health since 1991.

"In 2019, I had what we used to call a 'breakdown' - I get tingling in my hands, the colour drains from my life, I can feel it coming on. And I decided for the first time to chronicle that episode, in real time. I did just that for three days and when I came out of bed days later, it had gone viral. I'd even been on News At 10. It resonated."

That harrowing experience led Denise to write her book, The Unwelcome Visitor, and since its release, she feels a significant change has occurred, particularly after becoming post-menopausal: "I haven't had an episode since. I'll never, ever say it's 'gone'. All I know is for the first time in 35 years, I don't wake up frightened of my illness. Something righted itself. I don't wake up with a subconscious dread, the constant narrative, 'Do I feel OK? S**t, it's dark today, how's that going to affect me...' That's gone."

Denise also gushes about her husband Lincoln, her rock for the past 11 years. Despite it sounding "corny", at 51, she considers him the "bedrock" of her existence: "I feel so fortunate to have met him later in life. He's my best friend, we make each other laugh and we have each other's backs. The only thing I can thank alcohol for is that we met each other in a club late at night."

Denise Welch has candidly opened up about her personal triumphs and family joys, revealing how she and husband Lincoln Townley conquered adversity together, reports

She said: "We overcame all the negative press we got, the loss of my mother early on in our relationship could have set me back drinking again, but with the strength of Lincoln it didn't. We live a life we love. Life is good. I'm filming two new TV shows at the minute. I have a beautiful family, including my grandson. Lincoln and I are each other's anchors."

Denise, a regular on Loose Women and an active actress, is known for her candid opinions and emotional moments about her grandson. She attributes her long-standing presence on the show to the love and respect she receives from the team.

Denise believes that her personal growth has been significantly influenced by her time on-air. " Loose Women has honestly seen me through the good, the bad and the very ugly, and now the good again. I'm very grateful for the platform it's given me. Not many older women have a voice - this is one of the only shows in the country which reveres them. We have women from 24 to 84 - where else do you get that range of opinion and life experience? " she says.

Besides working on two confidential TV projects, Denise, a former star, has been named the new ambassador for National Numeracy. This cause resonates with her deeply as she has always struggled with numbers.

The charity reached out to Denise after witnessing her discuss her numerical struggles on Loose Women. "I'm no authority, but I just share my own experience," she admits.

"I've always been terrified of maths and numbers. It's plagued my life, my normal life. It renders me fearful to this day and got me into very sticky situations with money. I feel very strongly about National Numeracy trying to take the 'fear' out of maths, so if I can help by sharing my story, I will."

Denise's struggles began in the classroom. As a child, she was a "speed reading champion" with a passion for English, but maths terrified her. She recalls that seeing double maths on her timetable would make her "go and vomit in the toilets, just at the thought of it". Denise also had an unkind teacher who, she says, would "prey on those who were vulnerable".

"I hated it. My dad found numbers easy, so he wasn't forceful, but I remember him saying, 'Denise, if X equals Z, how can you not see? ' It felt like someone speaking in a foreign language. But these things weren't discussed back then. I lost a lovely job at a pub when I was 18 because we had to do mental maths. They loved me, but I took too long at the till, so they had to let me go."

As she grew older and entered the world of showbiz, Denise would only appear on quiz shows where she wouldn't be asked anything mathematical. Her fear of numbers started to impact her life. She said: "There were mortgages, taxes, bills. I got myself into trouble early in my career, by burying my head in the sand."

The TV star confessed she's fortunate to have support in dealing with her personal issues. She spoke candidly about past embarrassment but now urges others to seek guidance, highlighting there is support available.

"Contact National Numeracy and they'll help you with basic skills," she advises. "Don't be ashamed if you're no good with numbers, because believe me, it ain't just you! And it doesn't mean you're not incredibly clever, which is what I used to think. Ask for help, because those bills won't go away, they'll just pile up."

With success both professionally and within her family, Denise has confidently confronted her previous source of stigma. Beaming with positivity, she shares, "I'm happy. Life is good! " and muses, "Isn't that all anyone can ask for?"