Loose Women 25th Anniversary

Must Credit: Loose Women airs weekdays from 12:30pm on ITV1, ITVX, STV and STV Player and this month celebrates the show's 25th anniversary 

To celebrate a milestone 25 years on air, Loose Women has today revealed a stunning silver themed portrait, featuring 18 of the multi-award winning show’s panellists, for the first time. 

 

Please see below, press pack quotes from some of the women to mark the occasion, reflecting on what the show means to them and their most memorable moments. 

Quotes from:

Brenda Edwards

Charlene White

Christine Lampard 

Coleen Nolan

Denise Welch

Frankie Bridge

Jane Moore 

Janet Street-Porter

Judi Love

Kaye Adams

Kelle Bryan 

Linda Robson

Nadia Sawalha

Olivia Attwood-Dack

Ruth Langsford

Sunetra Sarker

Katie Piper

As Loose Women marks its 25th anniversary, what would you say to your 25 year old self now? 

Linda Robson: Live every moment, enjoy every moment, and just look after yourself. I'm 66 now so, health is your wealth when you get to this age, and you've got to look after yourself. I do look after myself, I do a lot of walking. I did actually climb Ben Nevis, with Nadia, Kaye and Jane a few years ago. It nearly killed me but I did it. They asked me if I had prepared and I said, ‘Yeah, I’ve been running up and down the stairs!’. They said ‘that’s not really preparing Linda?!’ [laughs] 

Olivia Attwood-Dack: I’d say, ‘You're not going to ever believe that you are on Loose Women as one of the panel that you used to watch when you're off school sick’ - my mum watched it all the time! It’s on weekdays so I’d always be at school when it was on. For me, going from remembering the show then, from when I was off sick and too young to understand what they were talking about, to now, it’s very surreal.  

Also, coming off the back of Love Island, people definitely put reality TV stars inside categories and kind of say what they ‘can and can't do’ but Loose Women obviously saw something in me and backed me. For me, it was like ‘whatever happens, happens’ and for it to have worked out, and now be a stable part of my life, I feel very lucky.

Ruth Langsford: It's all going to be alright! 

Janet Street-Porter: You look great, you are cleverer than all your critics! 

Nadia Sawalha: Don't waste so much time hating on yourself because you're actually a 360 degree woman. Stop finding fault in everything you did, thought, and the way that you looked because you're a multifaceted person who has so many different strengths. You can be quiet but also loud, funny but at times boring. Smart but at times stupid. And look fabulous one day yet rubbish the next. But most importantly, all of that is ok!

Jane Moore: Enjoy the collagen while you can! 

Coleen Nolan: I would tell her to just relax, just enjoy the moment and don't worry about the future -  because I did a lot of that and it's been a great future. 

What has been the most memorable moment for you during your time on Loose Women?

Olivia: My early shows, just how much the women took me under their wing and showed me the ropes. It's not their job to teach me how to do the show but they all really did. I remember Ruth was anchoring my first show I think, if not my second, and she was so kind. In the breaks, she would check in with me, make sure I knew what was going on. It's always just stood out to me as something I think I'll remember for forever. I really felt part of the team. 

Linda: Jumping out of an aeroplane for my 60th birthday - it was the scariest thing I’ve ever done! We’ve also had some amazing guests over the years - Whoopi Goldberg I think has been my favourite guest ever. She just got on with everything. She was just absolutely lovely and really funny as well. Another memorable moment would also have to be when me and Kaye went to interview Michael Buble and I got him to give me a massage. It was lovely, I also taught him how to speak cockney! 

Denise Welch: There've been so many wonderful times. The support I received from the public is always so memorable, I lost both my parents and had a marriage breakdown while I've been on Loose Women. I’m trying not to get emotional but I think the love the Loose Women had for my dad and how some of his greatest times were spent with the Loose Women - coming on the show and dressing up as a woman - and therefore the love that was shown to me when he died.

Charlene White: The first moment I walked into the Loose Women office, my very first meeting, and I just turned up and saw all the women that I respect and adore and have watched over the years. It was an incredible feeling for me, to walk in and know that I'm going to be working alongside this amazing, beautiful, intelligent, just fantastic group of women. I'm just really honoured that in that moment that they accepted me as part of their girl gang. 

Janet Street-Porter: Probably putting the then Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, on the spot over taxing pensioners - it made all the news bulletins. Also, not telling the others that I knew Bette Midler because her husband was a pal in the '70s… So, when she was a guest she pretended I'd had an affair with him!

Brenda Edwards: Every moment I'm on Loose Women is a standout moment, there isn't one in particular, but I did love my Body Stories campaign because that gave me a lot of strength and it hopefully empowered other women. 

Christine Lampard: There have been so many! I think probably the biggest one would be calling these women my friends now and after all these years and getting to know them all so well. They're all on speed dial if I need any of them at any moment and I think that's one of the biggest parts. Also, being able to share little parts of your life with people at home, actually telling everyone at home I was pregnant and then having the babies, and announcing all of those things on the telly, it was a huge privilege to be able to do that. You just feel part of a really big family. 

Kaye: The most memorable moment for me was celebrating my sixtieth birthday, never in my wildest dreams did I ever think that would happen! I can remember clear as day introducing my first daughter Charly, at the age of ten weeks, to the panel and she is now 22 and starting off in her own career!

Coleen Nolan: There are too many to list, every week there is a memorable moment on the show. But, obviously my first time on the show, walking on as a guest for the first time was pretty nerve wracking - and dancing with Britney Spears is also up there! 

Is there a moment that stands out for you in Loose Women history that made you realise you wanted to join the show? 

Katie Piper: I realised I wanted to become a Loose Woman when I came on the show as a guest, and I love the fact that I could be myself, be authentic. I wasn't going to be edited, given a script or told what to say, to come on telly and share the real me is so important to me and I'm so grateful for this platform.  

Judi Love: l've always desired to be a Loose Woman because it's just one of those shows that I connect with. Seeing amazing women on there, sharing their ideas, their stories and just the topics, that makes you feel so involved. It a pleasure to be a part of it.

Frankie Bridge: I have always watched Loose Women and over the years I'd been a guest on Loose Women, [so] to be asked to be on the panel was amazing. I think for me, I just realised what a great team everyone is, and how when you join, you become part of the Loose Women family. I wanted to be a part of that.

Christine: I'd watched Loose Women for years. It had always been that kind of company at home and they asked me, I actually couldn't quite believe my luck. I'll never forget my first day. I was so nervous I couldn't believe I was in this room of women that I'd watched for years, and it was a complete and utter privilege. I was very flattered and to be part of this team means the world.

Do you feel like you’ve changed since being on the show?

Olivia: For me, it's very grown up! I'm sitting there with seasoned broadcasters, journalists, and honestly, it's a wealth of knowledge. I feel like I've learned so much, not only just as an individual but also my interests, since being a part of Loose Women. Also, my own broadcasting skills, I can see them being refined and improved by being in the company of such experts. It's been a real privilege to be honest. 

Linda: I have, yeah. I’ve been on the show twenty years this year and I've loved every minute of it. If I wake up in the morning and I'm going to Loose Women then I am so happy because I know I’m going to work with my friends all day. We’re all there for each other. If someone is having a bit of a down time, then we'll look after each other. We've got so much history together and so many things have happened over the last twenty years. Loose Women is my happy place and I love being here. 

Coleen: I'm very lucky that I've lived half my life really with Loose Women. I've learned so much, certainly about hair and makeup [laughs] - I’ve learnt that I still can't do it myself! I've learned that friendships are very important, and I've made some lifelong friends from the show that, if it ended tomorrow, I'd still be friends with. Loose Women has helped me grow as a person. It's helped me be more open about myself. It's made me realise how important it is to discuss and share things you know, and to not feel alone.

Loose Women is Britain's longest running and only all-female panel show, what do you think the secret to the show's success is? 

Ruth: I was on Loose Women from the very start and I have noticed a huge difference in how much more open people are about talking about difficult subjects. I believe that we have helped bring that about because, we bring honesty to the show, we bring our own lives to the show. We talk about very difficult, painful things in our lives, but we know that that reflects what people are going through themselves at home - and now we talk about Alzheimer's, suicide, divorce, all sorts of things that were a little bit taboo and I think it's great that we do that.

Jane: The secret to Loose Women's success is authenticity. I think that when the viewer tunes in, they have to feel that they're sitting in a cafe with four mates, and the fact that we all get on helps with the chemistry, and they just sort of join in at home. Then when we see them out and about, they always say how much the show means to them, and that is incredibly special.

Coleen Nolan: There isn't really anything like Loose Women on telly - with four women a day, all ages, all different backgrounds, discussing every topic possible, from very serious ones, to just fun ones. It's a one off - the only show that's kind. 

Over the years, Loose Women has led the conversation on the issues affecting viewers today with its debates and campaigns. Why is it important to talk about these topics? 

Olivia: I think when you have an all female cast, and you have this show that's so ingrained in British TV culture and reaching so many people, it would be such a waste not to use that platform to spread awareness. I was lucky to be part of the show’s Facing It Together domestic abuse awareness campaign myself and it was incredibly empowering. That's just one of the many campaigns they've done over the years and they always seem to be of great success and met with such positive reactions.

Linda: The Body Stories campaign we did was amazing and nothing like that had ever been done before. I just think it's really important for women to see other women, all different shapes and sizes, being proud of their bodies. 

Kelle Bryan: One of the most impactful moments for me on panel is when I shared my story of domestic abuse. I think the Facing It Together campaign has been so impactful for me and my family but also, I've been approached by other women who are going through the same thing. It's given me the tools to be able to help other women get through it, find help and resolve their issues. For me, that has meant the world.

Denise: We have a huge platform and a huge responsibility to involve the public in a whole range of topics that they're not going to hear about anywhere else. Each of us individually brings our wonderful life stories and our traumatic life stories. 

I personally have lived with clinical depression for 35 years, and so for the 23 years that I've been on the show, I've been talking about my battle with clinical depression. This has allowed me to reach millions and millions of people who also deal with that subject. I've got letters and emails from over the years of people who had never heard it discussed on television before until I started talking about it. Each person has a different story and we’re the only show on television, in my opinion, which absolutely respects and reveres the opinions of older women. We are showing that older women have one of the most important voices and we are celebrated. 

Coleen: The topics we've talked about haven't been discussed enough and I think they resonate with a lot of our viewers. Body Stories was a massive campaign and as women, we can all resonate with trying to be confident in the body you've got, no matter what size you are. That was a hugely important one. All of the campaigns we’ve done, from mental health to menopause awareness. I think what's nice is that our audience gets to feel like they’re not alone with any issues that they're going through. To see four women, each day saying, ‘You're not alone because we felt it too' is really important.

Do you think attitudes to talking about certain topics have changed over the last 25 years? 

Kaye: When any human being is facing testing times or feelings, there is a tendency to believe they are 'the only one' struggling and that can be incredibly isolating. By discussing difficult or taboo topics on TV, Loose Women lets people know they are not alone and that their feelings are ’normal’. Menopause is a classic example. My grandmother’s generation would never speak about debilitating symptoms and so would have to struggle though without support. The contrast between then and now couldn’t be more stark… Thank goodness. 

Olivia: I think what Loose Women has done so well is, it's brought so many conversations of taboo into the forefront, into people's lounges, and talked about so many things - whether it's incontinence or domestic abuse or sexual health, anything like that. It's all these conversations that are things people don't normally talk about like that. The show has done that so beautifully, with so many of those subjects, and people shouldn’t be afraid to talk about them. 

Sunetra: Absolutely, I think that we've all moved on. We're a lot more braver about what we think, what we can talk about. I think the range of topics has also changed, because once upon a time, there weren't as many things that we could talk about in the way that we can now. I think Loose Women is so integral in people being able to open up new conversations that I don’t think we had 25 years ago. 

Denise: Oh, for sure. You've got to have a thick skin because with all these social media platforms, you get the trolls and people aren't afraid to tell you. Sometimes if you're feeling low - you’ve got to be careful not to let that stuff affect you and plough on. Doing the tour last year, that showed us who the true Loose Women fans were. We were like an old age ‘The 1975’ at the stage door! Those were the real, true fans who've watched and supported us for 25 years. They told us that putting us on at 12.30pm means sometimes they’re with the friends that they don't have, and they need.

Coleen: Oh massively, some topics would never have been discussed on television. People wouldn't be willing to discuss them but I think the good thing about where we are today, is that we're much more open. Whether that's to do with sharing stuff on social media as well, maybe, but I think the younger generation are more open with everything anyway. 

Life changes too, doesn't it? My opinions 24 years ago will probably be so different to how they are today, because a lot of new things are happening. A lot of ‘firsts’ have happened over the last 20 odd years, that are now the new normal.

What do you think it takes to be a Loose Women?

Olivia: I think you have to be authentically yourself. You need to have some individual opinions of your own and have the confidence to share them. You know, having that transparency and being up for sharing [your experiences] and stories about your life, because that's what the show is at its heart. 

Linda: I just think that you have to have an opinion on everything, whether it's different to everyone else or not. You have to open up and be honest. I'm very honest, and sometimes it gets me into trouble because I'm so honest! 

Denise: You've got to be very open. You get called gobby, mouthy, all of those things but actually you’re just a strong, opinionated woman and you need to be! So, I think a Loose Women needs to be strong and opinionated, funny and feisty. 

Kelle: It takes guts, courage and support to be a Loose Woman, because true Loose Women really just bare it all. We are supported greatly behind the scenes, which is the stuff that you don't see. It also takes courage because a lot of the things that we say publicly, are things that you would say to your girlfriend on a one to one basis, we're saying it to the world, so it takes a great deal of courage and bravery. Also you can't take yourself too seriously, that's the other thing I would say! 

Sunetra: You have to be prepared to speak up when you don't agree with things. You have to know that you can change your mind. You've got to be able to say, ‘I've changed my mind on this’. I think that's a really important quality that our Loose Women have, we're all really good at being able to understand our differences and our similarities. You've got to be really comfortable with things like that, and you've also got to be able to have a good laugh! 

Coleen: I think it takes honesty, openness, not being scared to tell all your secrets - that’s got me into trouble many a time! It's meant to be how you would be with your girlfriends, sitting in the kitchen having a coffee, talking about everything, so it's no holds barred. 

Christine: It takes all things and all sorts of people. I think that's actually the key to 25 years of success - we have our louder women, we've got our women who don't care about being completely honest, with others that are slightly more shy - and we all, for whatever reason, just seem to mix and blend really well. 

Do you have any pre or post-show rituals? 

Linda: We do! Brenda has a corridor song and normally we all join in with her. I've got a thing that we've been doing since Birds of a Feather - we all get in a huddle and we do a ‘thrust’. We did it every day on the Loose Women Live tour. Before each show, we'd all huddle together and we’d count 1,2,3, and do a thrust and it would all be okay.

Olivia: I have a jacket potato every day when I get off air! The jacket potatoes at ITV are amazing. It’s lunchtime when we come off air and I'm starving. I have beans, cheese and salt and pepper. 

If you could give a message to the show’s loyal viewers - the fifth Loose Women - that have joined you each weekday over the last 25 years, what would it be?

Olivia: The show is nothing without the viewers, they make Loose Women what it is. I know how loyal they are, tuning in every day, and especially the ones that we get to meet when they come down to be in the live audience in the studio - we feed off that energy. Every day, no matter what anyone's got going on in their own life, you come into that studio and that audience just brings immaculate vibes every time. It's infectious and it makes our job such a joy. We are the only Daytime format with a live audience and you realise how lucky we are to have that.

Linda: Thank you for supporting us, because without you, we wouldn't be doing what we're doing now. With all our campaigns and everything, thank you for all your support.

Denise: Happy silver anniversary Loose Women - thank you for being the most loyal, funny, committed and the most kind viewers that any show could hope to have. Here's to the next 25!

Additional quote from Ruth Langsford from the recent Silver Jubilee shoot: 

Ruth: The one thing people always ask me about Loose Women is, ‘Yeah, but do you really all get on?’ [and my answer is] ‘Yes, we do!’ It's so lovely today because we're all together and this doesn't happen very much with Loose Women because we all do different shows. We're in the studio, we're all glammed up in our best frocks and having a laugh, which is what we all love to do.