Denise Welch, the 66-year-old television personality and co-host of ITV's Loose Women, recently addressed false rumours that circulated over the weekend, claiming she had gone missing in a hot air balloon incident. The uproar began on Saturday, March 29, when social media users shared unverified reports suggesting that Welch was unaccounted for after allegedly disappearing while flying a hot air balloon from the UK to France.
Initial reactions on social media ranged from comedic disbelief to concern, with one user posting, “Devastating news about Denise Welch going missing in the hot air balloon... This is why you can’t take every day for granted.” Another user quipped, “Can’t believe I missed the news about Denise Welch flying away in a hot air balloon.”
Welch herself took a light-hearted approach to the situation, sharing a video on her social media platforms where casting assistant Kristian Wall can be seen flying a paper hot air balloon with “Denise” written on it. She captioned the post with a humorous remark, “So lucky are those who got a sighting of my journey.”
On Monday's episode of Loose Women, Welch recounted to co-hosts Jane Moore, Sue Cleaver, and Brenda Edwards the bizarre events that unfolded over the weekend. “Kent police put out a thing saying they were actively looking for me and then the memes started,” Welch explained, eliciting laughter from the studio audience. She further detailed how reports suggested she was seen in the balloon with notable figures like Mariah Carey and Lady Gaga, who was quoted as saying, "I'm worried about Densy, get the search parties out."
The story garnered unexpected traction, trending even in the United States, a territory where Welch noted she is less known. The absurdity of the situation was underscored by a meme featuring Donald Trump supposedly whispering to colleagues about Welch's alleged disappearance, raising humorous eyebrows in the studio.
Welch expressed bewilderment at the origins of the narrative, admitting, "I had absolutely no idea where the story came from." Describing her family's reaction, she stated, “My husband’s in Singapore on business, and my son lives in Los Angeles. They both apparently woke up to see, respectively, their mother and their wife missing over the Pyrenees in a hot air balloon and both went back to sleep.”
Throughout the segment, Welch maintained a jovial disposition about the ludicrous reports. She also noted the numerous memes that emerged, including one parody tweet suggesting Lady Gaga would be leading the search effort for her. Responding to the overwhelming reactions and the roasting she received online, she concluded, “Thank you, I’m exhausted but thank you,” indicating her relief at being the subject of light-hearted jest rather than genuine concern.
The peculiar blend of humour and confusion surrounding the event highlights the rapid spread of misinformation on social media and its potential to spark public panic, even if unintended and unfounded.
Source: Noah Wire Services