We were pretty surprised but happy when Denise Welch was announced as the winner of Celebrity Big Brother 2012 on Friday. For a while Gareth Thomas had been the favourite to win the show, with Frankie Cocozza taking a late lead as the bookies fave - so frankly, we weren't expecting our favourite Loose Woman to take home the cheque.
But what a deserving winner she is! After instigating a lot of the drama in the house, developing what she calls "Compulsive Flashing Disorder" and regularly participating in the sometimes disastrous "Wine O'Clock", Denise really proved to be an awesome housemate. So naturally, we couldn’t wait to get a chat with her after the final – and here’s what she had to say…
"It's the most random night of my life, I've never even won a raffle... ever,” an excited Denise told us. “It's a bizarre experience and I'm so flattered. I'm thrilled and delighted. It never even entered my head [that I might win]." Bless her!
She went on, "Natalie Cassidy, when she went out, my soul mate left. Everybody in that house made a special friend. And Natalie for me is one of those people. We've all got friends where you know what that person is thinking about somebody and I think that of all the people in the house she will be one of my best friends."
'I don't give a s*** if I never see Michael again'
On her epic spats with Michael Madsen, Denise still seemed baffled by the whole thing. "Michael called me a hypocrite and I'm still, to this day, to know why. Some of my best laughs were with Michael and some of my worst down times were with Michael. If I see Michael socially again, I'm sure it will be fine, but if I never see him again, I don't give a s***." Yikes!
We spoke to Den’ about the twins having felt judged by her during pantsgate. She noted, "The twins are very young. They have a very sweet side, they have a very troubled background. But… they live in a different world, on a different planet and I've never met people with so much confidence and vanity in my entire life". Nail. Firmly. On. Head.
'I have Compulsive Flashing Disorder'
When asked whether she worried about what her family might think of the Jacuzzi frolicking with Frankie and getting her boobs out, Denise admitted that her kids are probably used to it. "They know that I get my tits out! And I will have a boob job simply because I owe it to the public that they're… not around me knees!"
She continued, "I don't regret it at all, I've always got my tits out, I do have Compulsive Flashing Disorder. People think that you're doing it on purpose - it's something you've got or you haven't got and I can't help it so I make no apologies."
And just for that, we think she’s a deserving winner. After all, just imagine how much more dull the house would have been if Denise hadn’t have gone in!
Just before we left her, Denise got a bit emotional and explained, "It's a very strange situation to be in, because you've got no idea how it's going to be portrayed out there..." Bless Denise, you've got nothing to worry about.
And finally, after being offered a bottle of water by one of the production staff she commented, "I don't want water, I want some fucking wine!" Some things never change.
Read the rest of our CBB backstage gossip right here and..., well, here.