Denise Welch has spoken out after a talent agency made complaints regarding the working conditions at ITV.
Since 2005, the 65-year-old TV personality has been a regular on the lunchtime discussion show Loose Women.
Denise has now aggressively defended the show after Melanie Blake, who has represented countless Loose Women panellists over the previous decade, made scathing charges.
She originally stated that Loose Women is a “cutthroat workplace,” not This Morning.
Denise took to social media to declare that she would never work for a programme with such a terrible vibe.
‘So disappointing that a female agent @MelanieBlakeUK constantly uses her position to tear down other women’, Denise wrote.
‘It’s such a cliche that women can’t work together without being b*****s’, she added.
‘I adore my @loosewomen colleagues otherwise I wouldn’t work there.’
Melanie, 46, a lawyer who specialised in protecting older celebrities and performers, selected her words carefully when questioned about toxicity on Loose Women.
It comes after This Morning made headlines in the aftermath of Phillip Schofield‘s infidelity revelation, with numerous former stars alleging they addressed concerns about workplace conduct but received no resolution.
Dr Ranj Singh, one of the high-profile presenters who has made charges, stated in a long note that he had addressed ITV managers with his worries about a poisonous atmosphere before finding himself ‘utilised less and less’ on the show.
Melanie told The Mirror: ‘Considering I represented over 15 women on that show, I am only friends with Saira Khan.
‘But I am in such a positive career space right now, it’s just not a period of time I want to relive. But I can confirm in my experience, it’s that show that’s a cut-throat place to work and not This Morning.’
She added: ‘I was even on set the day Holly [Willoughby] started and have been there hundreds of times and have never once felt on edge.
‘But put a load of ambitious women together with a small amount of seats to fill and inevitably there is always going to be tension.
‘Showbiz isn’t all diamonds and rosé.’
The publicist added: ‘Despite the party line of the Loose Women having been the best of friends from day one, it’s simply that, a party line.
‘Just because you get a job sitting next to each other, doesn’t mean you’re going to be friends.’
She suggested that there were ‘a lot of egos in [her] era’.
‘It’s not a show I want my new agency to represent stars from again.’
Melanie admitted she no longer watches Loose Women, comparing it to a ‘toxic ex’ in the sense that ‘you just want to move on’.
‘I’d literally cross the road to avoid former clients from that show,’ she said shockingly.
‘But hey, my work on the show did buy me a massive house, so every cloud!’
In response to previous toxicity accusations, ITV said it is ‘committed to providing every opportunity for anyone who works with us to raise any concern or comments they may have.’
ITV CEO Dame Carolyn McCall also issued a letter saying that the network has engaged a solicitor to conduct an external investigation into Phillip’s sudden departure.
Loose Women airs weekdays at 12.30pm on ITV.