Benidorm Star Crissy Rock Eyes Denise Welch’s Loose Women Seat

Key Points

• Rewriter Crissy Rock has revealed that she’d love to be on ITV’s Loose Women as a panellist.
• The Benidorm actress indicated she may have been interested in succeeding Denise Welch if she had decided to leave the show.
• When asked to replace Welch, Rock playfully replied, “Oh yeah, I’ll have to get in there!”
• After nearly 25 years on and off, Denise Welch has revealed her plans to leave Loose Women, stating that acting was her “first love”.
• Rock has made past guest appearances on Loose Women in 2011 and 2019.
• Renowned for her role as hotel manageress Janey Yorke on ITV’s Benidorm.
• After years in the entertainment business, Rock said that Benidorm got her “firmly back on the map”.
• She also spoke about the old rumours of her being cast as a character on Coronation Street, as it never happened.
• Rock has had a career in TV with programmes such as Benidorm, I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here!, Loose Women and more.
• At present, she is a part of a touring stage show, Tits Up!, which tells the stories of three women with breast cancer.
• The show was broadcast on ITV for 10 series at Benidorm, and was one of the most successful comedies on ITV. Janey Yorke was a familiar face as Rock’s character.
• Unfortunately, there hasn’t been any official word out confirming Rock as a permanent member of the Loose Women panel; her comments are merely about her interest in the opportunity.

Benidorm (Britain Today News) September 02, 2026 — Benidorm star Crissy Rock has revealed that she would like to become a permanent panellist on ITV’s Loose Women, even suggesting she could step into the role vacated by Denise Welch after the long-serving presenter announced her departure from the daytime programme. Speaking to The Mirror ahead of her appearance in the nationwide stage tour of Tits Up!, Rock said she would “love to be a panellist” rather than simply appearing on the programme as a guest. When asked whether she could replace Welch, she responded:

“Oh yeah, I’ll have to get in there!”

Rock’s comments come after Welch confirmed that she was leaving Loose Women after almost 25 years on and off the ITV programme. Welch said acting had always been her “first love” and that she wanted to concentrate on new opportunities in the profession. Her departure has created another notable change for the long-running lunchtime programme, while Rock’s public expression of interest has placed her name among the possibilities discussed by viewers and entertainment followers.

There is currently no confirmation that Rock has been approached for, offered or secured a permanent position on the Loose Women panel. Her remarks should therefore be understood as an expression of her enthusiasm for the role rather than an announcement of a casting decision.

What did Crissy Rock say about joining Loose Women?

Rock made clear that she would welcome the opportunity to move from occasional appearances to a regular position on Loose Women. The actress has already appeared on the programme, including a 2011 appearance and a 2019 episode alongside Joe Swash, according to programme records.

Rock told The Mirror:

“I would love to be a panellist, instead of just going on talking.”

Her comment reflects the familiarity she already has with the format. Loose Women is built around a rotating group of presenters and panellists discussing entertainment, relationships, current issues, personal experiences and other subjects. Rock’s background as an actress, comedian and television personality would give her a different route into the format if she were ever considered for a regular position.

The Liverpool-born performer is also known for her outspoken comic style, something that has been central to her career away from scripted acting. Her experience performing stand-up and appearing on reality and chat programmes has provided her with a television profile beyond her best-known fictional character.

However, Rock’s remarks do not amount to confirmation of a new appointment. The distinction is important because the actress was expressing her own desire to join the panel rather than announcing a decision made by ITV or the Loose Women production team.

Why is Denise Welch leaving Loose Women?

Welch announced in August 2026 that she was leaving Loose Women after appearing on the ITV panel show on and off for about 25 years. In her statement, she explained that she wanted to pursue acting opportunities and move into what she described as a new chapter of her life.

Welch said:

“I’m leaving Loose Women after the best part of 25 years off and on.”

She explained that she had previously left the programme for around seven years before returning in 2018. She also said the show had been part of her and her family’s life for nearly a quarter of a century.

The actress added:

“I have the most wonderful, wonderful memories, and it’s just that acting has always been my first love, and I think the thing I’m best at.”

Welch’s decision was presented as a career choice centred on acting rather than an indication that she had fallen out with the programme. She said she had received new acting opportunities and wanted to pursue them.

Her departure followed a period of significant change for Loose Women. The programme has undergone production and format changes, including reductions in its running time and the loss of its studio audience as ITV has sought to manage daytime production costs.

How long has Denise Welch been associated with Loose Women?

Welch became one of the recognisable personalities associated with Loose Women over a period spanning roughly a quarter of a century. The actress first appeared as a guest on the programme in 2001 and later became a permanent panellist before leaving and subsequently returning.

Her long association with the programme means that any potential replacement would inherit a role previously occupied by one of the show’s better-known personalities.

Welch’s television career extends well beyond Loose Women. She has appeared in programmes including Waterloo Road, Coronation Street, Benidorm and Hollyoaks. She also competed on Dancing on Ice and won Celebrity Big Brother in 2012.

Her exit therefore represents a significant change both for the programme and for Welch’s own television career.

Rock, meanwhile, has a connection with Loose Women of her own. ITV’s programme archive records her as a guest on the show, demonstrating that she is not an entirely unfamiliar face to the programme or its audience.

What is Crissy Rock best known for?

Rock is best known to television audiences for playing hotel manageress Janey Yorke in Benidorm, the ITV sitcom set around the fictional Solana holiday resort in Spain.

The series began in 2007 and became one of ITV’s prominent comedy programmes. Rock was part of the original cast, playing Janey during the early years of the show. The character was Solana’s manageress and became closely associated with the actress.

Rock has previously explained that Benidorm changed the trajectory of her public profile. Although she had already established herself as an actress and comedian, the role brought her a much wider television audience.

She told The Mirror:

“I’ve been an actress way before Benidorm, but I think Benidorm, because of what it did and how it influenced everyone, and it became like a cult thing, it did, in my eyes, put me firmly back on the map, you know what I mean?”

Her assessment highlights the importance of the sitcom in her career. Before Benidorm, Rock had already worked in film, television and theatre, but Janey Yorke became the role with which many viewers identified her.

Rock’s profile has remained connected with the programme years after her original run. Her work on television and in live entertainment has continued to provide her with opportunities outside the sitcom.

What was Crissy Rock’s role in Benidorm?

Rock played Janey Yorke, the hotel manageress at the Solana, during the early series of Benidorm. The sitcom centred on British holidaymakers staying at the resort and introduced a large ensemble cast over its run.

The original series featured performers including Siobhan Finneran, Steve Pemberton, Sheila Reid, Johnny Vegas and Jake Canuso alongside Rock.

Rock’s Janey was positioned within the hotel itself, giving the actress a central role in the comic situations created around the guests and staff.

The programme ultimately ran for 10 series and developed a loyal audience. Its setting, ensemble cast and exaggerated portrayal of British holiday culture helped establish its distinctive identity.

Rock later left the principal role, with Sherrie Hewson joining the series as Joyce Temple-Savage, the new manageress of the Solana. Rock subsequently remained associated with the Benidorm world through later appearances and her wider entertainment career.

Her connection with the sitcom remains one of the strongest elements of her public identity.

Has Crissy Rock appeared on Loose Women before?

Yes. Rock has appeared on Loose Women previously, meaning her suggestion that she could become a regular panellist would not involve an entirely new face being introduced to the programme.

Programme records list Rock among the guests on episodes broadcast in 2011 and 2019. Her 2019 appearance was alongside Joe Swash, while an earlier appearance came during the show’s 15th series.

Those appearances give Rock an existing relationship with the programme and its format.

Her experience is also broader than her scripted television work. She has appeared on entertainment and reality programmes, including I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here!, and has continued working in live performance.

That combination of comedy, acting and television experience could potentially make her a natural fit for a programme requiring contributors who can discuss personal experiences while also responding quickly to topical conversations.

Nevertheless, there is an important difference between being an established guest and being a permanent panellist. A regular role would require a continuing commitment to the programme and its editorial format, something that has not been announced in Rock’s case.

What did Crissy Rock say about Coronation Street?

Rock also used the interview to address longstanding speculation about whether she might appear in Coronation Street.

The actress said there had previously been rumours about her joining the ITV soap as the sister of Jackie Dobbs, a character played by fellow Liverpudlian Margi Clarke. Rock said the proposed storyline would have made her Tyrone’s aunt, but the role never became reality.

Rock said:

“I’ve never done Coronation Street, ever. There were rumours, but it never, ever happened.”

She added:

“It would have been lovely, that, wouldn’t it? To play Margi Clark’s sister, Tyrone’s auntie. That would have been a good thing, but it just never happened.”

Rock also noted how entertainment rumours can continue long after there has been any firm development.

“You always hear things. Like ‘Oh, Benidorm’s going to come back.’ but is it or isn’t it? We don’t know, and I’m just as in the dark as everyone else!”

Her comments underline the distinction between speculation surrounding a television project and an officially confirmed production.

What has Crissy Rock done outside Benidorm?

Rock’s career stretches back several decades and includes film, television, theatre and stand-up comedy.

She gained critical attention for her performance as Maggie in Ken Loach’s 1994 film Ladybird, Ladybird. She subsequently appeared in a range of television productions and stage shows before becoming widely recognised through Benidorm.

Her career has included appearances in programmes such as Peak Practice, Brookside and Dalziel and Pascoe, alongside theatre work and pantomime performances.

She has also maintained a connection with live comedy. Her career as a stand-up performer has complemented her television work and contributed to the lively public persona that she has brought to entertainment programmes.

Rock’s career history is relevant to her comments about Loose Women because the programme traditionally relies on personalities who can move between personal discussion, entertainment and humour.

Her experience in several entertainment formats therefore provides a substantial background if she were ever to be considered for a longer-term role.

What is Crissy Rock doing with Tits Up?

At the time of the interview, Rock was preparing to appear in the touring stage production Tits Up!, a play focusing on three women whose lives intersect through breast cancer.

The production brings together characters with different backgrounds and circumstances and explores themes including fear, friendship, resilience and family.

Rock has been involved with the stage production alongside Leah Bell and other members of the creative team. Current 2026 listings confirm that Tits Up is touring and is scheduled for performances later in the year, including a Warrington date in October.

The play’s subject matter gives Rock another opportunity to work in live theatre while remaining visible to audiences familiar with her television career.

For an actress whose best-known work is associated with comedy, Tits Up! also represents the continuing breadth of her professional work.

Could Crissy Rock bring a different style to Loose Women?

If Rock were eventually offered a permanent position, her approach could bring a combination of comedy, acting experience and a strong regional personality to the panel.

Her career has been built partly on observational humour and live performance, while her role in Benidorm established her as a recognisable television entertainer.

A regular Loose Women position would also represent a significant change from occasional guest appearances. Rather than simply joining the panel for individual discussions, Rock would potentially become part of the programme’s continuing group of presenters and contributors.

However, it remains essential to separate what Rock has said from what ITV has confirmed. Her statement that she would like the role is not evidence that negotiations are taking place.

At present, the confirmed element is Rock’s interest in joining the panel and Welch’s decision to leave. Any permanent appointment would require an announcement from the programme or broadcaster.
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What does Denise Welch’s departure mean for Loose Women?

Welch’s departure marks the end of a lengthy association with one of ITV’s most recognisable daytime programmes.

She has described the show with affection while making clear that her professional priority is now acting. Her decision comes after years in which she became known not only for her opinions and personal stories on Loose Women, but also for her work across British television and theatre.

Welch said she would miss the people associated with the programme but intended to remain friends with her former colleagues.

The programme, meanwhile, continues to operate with a rotating group of presenters and panellists. Recent departures and changes have generated attention around its future line-up.

Rock’s comments consequently arrive at a moment when the programme’s panel is changing.

What happens next for Crissy Rock and Loose Women?

For now, Rock remains an interested potential candidate rather than a confirmed replacement for Welch.

Her remarks have nevertheless placed her name in the conversation at a time when Loose Women has lost one of its longest-serving personalities.

Rock has the advantage of previous appearances on the programme, a substantial television career and experience in live comedy. Her status as one of the recognisable faces from Benidorm also gives her an established relationship with a broad British television audience.

Whether those factors translate into a permanent position remains a matter for ITV and the Loose Women production team.

The immediate facts are clear: Rock wants the opportunity, Welch has left to pursue acting, and Loose Women continues to undergo changes to its presenting line-up.

For Rock, the possibility of joining the panel would represent another chapter in a career that has already taken her from acclaimed film performances and stand-up comedy to one of ITV’s best-known sitcoms and reality television.

Her own words, however, leave the situation open. She has expressed enthusiasm rather than confirmation, meaning viewers will have to wait for an official announcement before knowing whether the Benidorm favourite will become a permanent member of the Loose Women panel.