Denise Welch

Jacqueline Denise Healy (née Welch; born 22 May 1958) is an English actress and television presenter.

Born in Tynemouth, Tyne and Wear. Denise Welch attended Bygate School, Whitley Bay, La Sagesse, Newcastle and Blackfyne Grammar School, Consett.

From 1976 - 79 Denise Welch studied at Mountview Theatre School, Crouch End, London. She gained her Equity card while teaching dance at Watford Theatre.

She appeared on the West End stage in Yakkety-Yak with the McGann brothers at the Astoria Theatre in 1983. Later that year she was in the first dramatization on stage of a Catherine Cookson novel The Gambling Man. After marrying and divorcing fellow actor David Easter.

Denise joined the Live Theatre Company in Newcastle, where she starred in many productions and where she later met Tim Healy whom she married in 1988. They have two children, Matthew Timothy (born 1989, Hendon, London) and Louis Vincent (born 2001, Salford, Greater Manchester).

She has had many stage successes including the national tours of 'There's a Girl in My Soup' and an Alan Ayckbourn quartet of plays. She played Sandy in Grease at the Haymarket Theatre, Leicester in 1984. She had leading roles in 'A Nightingale Sang.. at the Newcastle Playhouse, Going Home', Shooting the Legend both with Tim Healy and Beautiful Game all at the Theatre Royal, Newcastle.

Her first TV appearance was in Barriers in 1981 and her many parts since include 'The Godmother, Come into the Parlour, A kind of living, Byker Grove and the Catherine Cookson adaptation 'The Glass Virgin. Denise reached national prominence playing the wife of Jimmy Nail in Spender and later played 'Marsha Stubbs in the ITV hit 'Soldier, Soldier.

In 1997 Denise created the role of Natalie Horrocks in Coronation Street and in 1998 become Natalie Barnes' and then landlady of the Rovers Return. Other TV appearances includes: Born and Bred, Holby City, Where the heart is, and Turkish Delight. In 1999 she was honoured to be chosen as the 1,000th victim on 'This is Your Life'.

In 2005, Denise was cast as Steph in Waterloo Road. The first series was broadcast in 2006 and won the TV Quick Award for Best New Drama. The series continues to be a success.

Alongside 'Waterloo Road' Denise can be seen as panelist and presenter on the award winning ITV1 daytime programme 'Loose Women'.