Denise Welch was drafted in to appear on Loose Women at the last minute after Gloria Hunniford was forced to pull out. The 82-year-old was also left upset after she had to miss out on her role at the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations.
Gloria was set to appear on the ITV panel show on Monday (June 6) alongside her friend and singer Sir Cliff Richard to chat about their experience aboard a double-decker open-top bus which formed past of the Platinum Pageant in central London on Sunday (June 5).
But Ruth Langsford revealed that Gloria was absent from the Jubilee celebration, which saw a special appearance from the Queen to round off the four-day weekend, as well as the show as she appeared alongside fellow panellists Sophie Morgan, Denise Welch and Coleen Nolan.
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As they chatted about the highlights of the mammoth Jubilee celebrations, Ruth said: "Someone who I was very sad not to see there at the pageant yesterday was our very own Gloria Hunniford, she was supposed to be on the National Treasures bus with her great friend Sir Cliff Richard.
"She was so looking forward to it and she was supposed to be on the panel today, so thank you very much to Denise for stepping in." She continued: “But sadly, Gloria had a fall. She was being interviewed on the BBC on Saturday, then had a fall Saturday night and couldn’t go to the pageant. Absolutely devastating."
"She’s fine. She’s okay," Ruth insisted, with Denise saying she had plasters on her leg and arm and had suffered a cut to her face. Ruth added: "She’s so upset, but she’s going to join us on the phone and have a chat. Gloria, we’re sending you lots of love and looking forward to talking to you later on."
Gloria did later appear on the show via the phone as Cliff appeared live on the panel. She revealed that she has actually fractured a bone in her face, commenting: "I look as if I’ve done ten rounds with Mike Tyson and lost really badly."
Discussing the photo he had seen of Gloria following her fall, the 81-year-old commented: "I made a joke of it actually, I said 'Glo it would have been very easy if you didn’t want to be on that bus to just write to the queen'. You’re doing the right thing Glo just sit back relax."
He did, however, tell his friend that everyone he spoke to at Sunday's finale event was asking after her. Ruth then wished her friend well and said: "Gloria we wish you well, take care of yourself won't you. Don’t rush back until you’re better," as the rest of the panel shouted messages and blew kisses to the camera.
