Denise Welch Recalls Heartfelt Friendship with Madeleine McCann’s Grandmother and the Invitation to Dancing on Ice That Was Declined

Appearing on Loose Women, Denise Welch opened up about a touching friendship she formed with Susan Healy, the grandmother of missing Madeleine McCann, and revealed how she supported the McCann family during their darkest times.

Welch recounted how, years ago, she spoke out in defense of Kate and Gerry McCann, the parents of Madeleine, when media coverage and public suspicion began to mount around their involvement in their daughter’s disappearance. “I spoke out all of those years ago when Madeleine was first taken,” Welch said. “Then of course the story started to evolve, and a lot of people were suspecting the McCanns… A lot of it came out of ignorance, but because I spoke out quite a lot, I got a handwritten letter from Susan Healy, who is Madeleine’s grandmother.”

According to Welch, the letter from Susan Healy was heartfelt and emotional. “There was a little bond there, and she thanked me for speaking out on behalf of Madeleine when a lot of people were turning against [Kate]. It was heartbreaking what she told me and how they were dealing with this,” Welch shared, reflecting on the personal connection she built with the family.

Later, after learning that the McCanns were fans of Dancing on Ice, Welch reached out with an invitation, hoping to provide a brief escape for the family. Through Susan Healy, Welch invited Kate and Gerry to bring their children to a live recording of the show.

However, the invitation was politely declined, with Healy explaining that appearing on a public platform such as Dancing on Ice would likely attract more negative attention to the McCanns. “What she was trying to say is that if Gerry and Kate are seen anywhere, smiling and enjoying anything, the trolling they get is beyond comprehension,” Welch explained during the segment.

Denise Welch expressed her frustration with the public treatment of the McCann family, adding, “I would like closure for the family and to say to the rest of the world who have treated them so appallingly badly when there is no evidence, shame on you.”

The emotional conversation came as the investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, who vanished in 2007 at the age of three, was revived. Despite the media’s scrutiny and relentless public interest, the McCanns have continued their search for their daughter, and their story remains one of the most poignant and followed in recent history.