Loose Women's Denise Welch begs BBC for job after ITV cuts

Panellist Denise Welch has openly asked the BBC for a job, after it was suggested that she was in the running to voice the next Doctor Who. The BBC has recently announced plans to launch a brand-new animated Doctor Who series aimed at preschool audiences, with a scheduled broadcast window from 2027 to 2029.

This marks the first time the iconic Time Lord will appear in a dedicated series on CBeebies. The BBC is reportedly currently seeking a production company to create and deliver the series, which will run independently from the flagship Doctor Who live-action show. Denise reshared a Reddit post, suggesting that she could be the next star of the show, which read: "The BBC is considering a variety of well-known names familiar to CBeebies audiences to voice the Doctor." It added that the shortlist named a number of CBBC stars, including Justin Fletcher, best known for the role of Mr Tumble, and Andy Day from Andy's Dinosaur Adventures. It said that George Webster, who is a CBeebies presenter and has Down syndrome, is also in the running to promote the inclusivity message that "the Doctor can be anyone". Other names reportedly being considered are Richard E. Grant, James Bolam, and Denise Welch herself.

The Loose Women star reshared a screenshot of the post, as she added a response on her Instagram Stories. She wrote: "I definitely think this job should be mine," before tagging Doctor Who creator, Russell T Davies.

Although they don't appear to have previously worked together, Denise and Russell are both patrons of the Hope Mill Theatre in Manchester. They both took on the role in 2019, joining Tracie Bennett, who became a patron in 2016.

When the news of the upcoming series was announced, Patricia Hidalgo, Director of Children's and Education, said in a statement: "Everyone is welcome at CBeebies, including the Doctor. This much-loved franchise entertains millions around the world, so it is only right that our younger audience get to experience the wonder and the magic of the Doctor in a brand new format.

"This is an extremely exciting opportunity, and we are looking forward to welcoming companies to pitch for this new project, as we continue our commitment and investment in the UK's animation industry."

The update comes as times are turbulent at ITV. The broadcaster announced recently that it is axing more than 220 jobs and making cuts to shows including Loose Women and Lorraine.

There have been reports that the pool of panellists will be reduced, with Denise's co-star Nadia Sawalha saying that the changes are "brutal". Speaking on her YouTube channel, Sawalha said: "What's been brutal, absolutely brutal, over the last week, honestly I feel tearful about it, is that hundreds of people... are going to be made redundant out of the blue, these are all the people behind the scenes that support us in every way."