Denise Welch has reassured her fans after a viral hoax claimed that she had gone missing in a hot air balloon over the north of France.
The Loose Women host was the subject of unsubstantiated reports that a journey she had gone on from the UK to France by hot air balloon had gone awry.
Signifying that these baseless reports were absolutely false, Welch shared a series of posts on Instagram poking fun at the claims.
The 66-year-old shared a headline reading: “Hot air balloon carrying Denise Welch disappears en route from the UK to France.” Responding with laughing emojis, Welch added: “Thank goodness they found me!!!”
“There’s hope for me yet!!” she said in response to a tweet that joked: “Lady Gaga begins search for Denise Welch and the lost hot air balloon herself – ‘I am looking for Densy.’”
Welch also shared a video of casting assistant Kristian Wall flying a paper hot air balloon with “Denise” written on it.
“So lucky are those who got a sighting of my journey,” she joked in the post.
In addition, a friend of Welch’s told The Sun: “Denise found the whole thing hilarious but was baffled as to why anyone would say she’s adrift in a balloon. Her family has been laughing about it.”
It comes after Welch’s son Matty Healy and his band The 1975 were announced as one of the headliners at the year’s Glastonbury festival.
The British band will be joined by US pop star Olivia Rodrigo and icon Neil Young as the top acts at this year’s festival.
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Other acts on the lineup include Brit Award and Grammy-winning star Charli XCX, singer RAYE, Grammy-winning rapper Doechii, British hip-hop artist Loyle Carner, Scottish rock band Biffy Clyro and rapper Busta Rhymes.
It was announced last year that Rod Stewart will take on the Sunday teatime Legends Slot on the Pyramid Stage.
Healy is currently engaged to model Gabbriette Bechtel, with the news being confirmed in June 2024.
Speaking on Loose Women at the time, Welch said: “I woke up this morning to the fact they’ve put it on Instagram. Instagram official, he has got engaged to Gabbriette Bechtel, Gabbriette, she’s known as. She’s from Los Angeles, she is absolutely gorgeous,” said Welch, before bizarrely adding: “She does have a rat.”
“We couldn’t be happier. She is everything I would want in a daughter-in-law,” said Welch.