Denise Welch vented her anger at the government's reintroduction of face masks as she appeared on Loose Women today.
The presenter fumed as she got into a heated rant on the ITV show about face coverings, which have been made mandatory again today because of the rise of the Omicron Covid variant.
But Denise was left unimpressed with the government's decision as she called for more support for people's mental health throughout the pandemic, adding: "I will die on the mental health hill, I will not die on the mask hill."
Speaking on the ITV show, she said: "It comes from the mental health perspective. And the thing about masks is - I will die on the mental health hill, I will not die on the mask hill.
"All I've ever wanted to do is ask questions and have the questions be answered correctly. And one of my things about masks is, why are people saying now 'well we shouldn't have let the mask mandate go, we should have kept the mask mandate going completely."
Host Ruth Langsford began the debate by citing various studies which say that face coverings "block up to 80 per cent of droplets from escaping into the air".
"The World Health Organisation say masks should be used as part of a strategy using other measures," Ruth added.
Denise went on to fume at those who were now backtracking over the Covid mask mandate and saying it should have been there the whole time, as she commented on the hospitalisations and deaths from Covid across the UK.
"Well - why are some of the countries that have had masks mandated outside and inside got some of the highest rates of Covid? Not necessarily hospitalisations and death but as regards to cases," she added.
"And the other thing about masks is that, we at the moment in the UK, have one of the lowest rates of hospitalisations and deaths in months, so why should we have kept the mask mandate."
The actress' comments prompted a strong reaction from viewers on social media, with one viewer writing: "Denise Welch proving once again she is a danger to public health on Loose Women."
Another added: "I cant believe what Denise is saying does she realise that we were running with the highest infection and deaths over the summer come on itv you have a duty of care than to have incorrect info on tv you shame on the show."
Denise has been outspoken about the pandemic throughout the last two years but insists she's not a Covid denier.
"I've just seen my dad die of an upper respiratory infection. I wouldn't wish that on anybody," she explained.
"For anybody that wants to say about the Covid denying, it's utter utter rubbish. This is from a mental health perspective."
She recently contracted Covid herself but said it was nothing like the bronchitis she had previously.
"Just had covid. Nothing like the bronchitis I had recently which was most ill I’ve ever been. Lost taste & smell with both. At work 10 days ago," she wrote on Twitter.
"Was removed from set & they had me tested. LF & PCR taken at same time. LF was negative, PCR came back positive. Go figure."
