Denise Welch has revealed her ADHD diagnosis came after her Loose Women co-star suspected she had the condition, while also opening up about her breakdown last year.

The Coronation Street and Waterloo Road actress, 67, has candidly spoken about being diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in a new interview.

Denise shared how her ITV co-star Nadia Sawalha suspected she might have the neurodevelopmental condition and her children.

She explained: ‘The diagnosis came about because Nadia Sawalha, one of my friends and colleagues on Loose Women, suspected that she was very ADHD and that her daughters were, so she spoke to our producer Sally, whose husband Henry Shelford is very high up in the ADHD world, “I’m thinking of being tested”.

‘Sally said, “if we get you tested, would you be happy to be filmed and we’ll use it as a piece?”.

Denise said that she agreed ITV could use the footage ‘whatever the result’.

Denise Welch has revealed her ADHD diagnosis came after her Loose Women co-star suspected she had the condition as she opens up on a breakdown last year

Denise said: ‘Nadia Sawalha, one of my friends and colleagues on Loose Women, suspected that she was very ADHD and that her daughters were, so she spoke to our producer Sally’

She continued to the How to Fail with Elizabeth Day podcast: ‘When they mentioned this to ADHD360, this company and said, “we have about 20 Loose Women altogether, some work on the show more than others, but across the board, probably about 20. One of our girls suspects that she has ADHD”.

‘They said, “is it Denise Welch?”. I said, “what the”, and the other women went, “oh, come on Den. Oh, come on”.’

Denise, who has been open about her battle with alcoholism and clinical depression, also shared how she suffered a breakdown.

She explained: ‘I did the whole thing and needless to say, I was diagnosed ADHD and it’s only now on my second attempt at medication, which came after a breakdown last year, first in five years, that I’ve realized how I had completely underestimated the impact of ADHD on me running parallel with my depression.

‘If maybe I had shown signs before I had Matthew, if maybe there was more money spent on women’s health, they would find a huge link between ADHD and postnatal depression, severe postnatal depression.’

Denise previously told how her ‘unwelcomed visitor’ had returned during a Loose Women podcast with her co-stars.

She said last year: ‘I’ve had a really tough two weeks, which I’m still in a bit.’

Denise continued: ‘I’d just done a podcast and article saying how I’d been free for five years of clinical depression and I hope that something happened before I had a baby, reversed.

Denise, who has been open about her battle with alcoholism and clinical depression, also shared how she suffered a breakdown (pictured in 1998)

‘But sadly the unwelcomed visitor paid me another visit.

‘I’ve not been well for a couple of weeks, the reason why we’ve alluded to it is because we do all these things like Britain get talking, it’s good to talk.

‘Sometimes people still find it isn’t always good to talk for them.

‘I just wanted to come on here because, what I need when I’m poorly, I need for my friends to just know I need time to get well…

‘The people I work with, to say if you want to come to work, come to work, if you don’t, like last week I didn’t come I know my illness more than anyone.’

In April Denise celebrated 13 years of sobriety as she penned an emotional social media post on the last time she consumed an alcoholic drink.

She said her sons, actor Louis, 24, and The 1975 lead singer, Matty Healy, 36, being proud of her, is the greatest gift since turning her life around over a decade ago.

Denise, who shares her sons with ex Tim Healey, wrote: ’13 years ago today I had my last alcoholic drink. I had woken up, as often happened, with no memory of the night before.

‘I was in the middle of a huge theatre tour and was faced with the thought of a long car journey to Richmond and 2 shows!! Then I looked around and realised that my husband, then boyfriend, was watching me and he threw a newspaper on the bed.

‘It was me. Papped. Leaning over the bonnet of a car shouting at someone and pointing. No recollection. The bathroom door of his flat had been pulled of its hinges and a lamp lay on the floor’.

In April Denise celebrated 13 years of sobriety as she penned an emotional social media post on the last time she consumed an alcoholic drink

Denise continued: ‘Lincoln had stopped drinking 2 months before. I had told him I didn’t have as big of a problem. I did. A huge one. He told me he loved me but he couldn’t live like this’.

‘The thought of losing him terrified me. I was depressed, anxious, scared, embarrassed, appalled at my behaviour and full of shame. I gave up drinking that night. It is the best decision I have ever made’.

‘Not just because I now have an amazing marriage to the love of my life, but because our 3 children [the artist also has a son from a previous relationship] can live their lives knowing that we’re safe and happy. Their lives aren’t led never knowing what or where we’ll end up.’