Denise Welch, 66, shows off her incredible weight loss in a plunging pink swimsuit as she credits therapy with changing her 'bad relationship' with food

Denise Welch has revealed therapy helped her maintain her weight loss. 

The Loose Women star, 66, lost 2.5 stone in just nine weeks after becoming a Celebrity Ambassador for the LighterLife diet plan.

She reflected on her weight loss journey with an Instagram post on Tuesday as she compared a picture of herself in a bikini in 2003 compared with a new swimsuit snap. 

Denise looked incredible as she recreated the pose by popping one hand on her hip and another on her sunglasses. 

She penned: 'Majorca 11 years apart. Thank you @lighterlife for helping me change my bad relationship with food and helping me to maintain weight loss with mentorship and CBT [cognitive behavioral therapy] tools I employ if I feel myself slipping,'

Denise followed the diet plan which includes shakes, daily food packs and cognitive behavioural therapy to try and curb her craving for sugar.

She previously revealed her weight gain was caused by binge eating sugary foods when she quit drinking for good in 2012.

The Loose Women star and husband Lincoln Townley gave up alcohol for good at the time in a bid to save their marriage.

She told Broccoli and Brains magazine: 'Until I gave up drinking, I never really had a weight problem. I’d certainly never had a sweet tooth.

'But once I stopped drinking, I started getting massive sugar cravings and the weight started going on.'

Denise got married to second husband Tim in 1988, but the Loose Women panellist went public with their separation on the show in February 2012.

At the time, the TV personality broke down in tears on the lunchtime stalwart as she confessed her 23 year marriage to the actor was over, and it had been for 'some time.' 

The former flames raise their two children The 1975 frontman Matt, 28, and Louis, 16, together.

Denise started dating her current husband Lincoln in 2011 - but only went public with their relationship in 2012 and married in 2013. She was was previously married to David Easter from 1985 to 1988.

Denise has been enjoying a holiday in Mallorca after a quick trip to Los Angeles to see her sons - The 1975 singer Matty Healy, 35, and actor Louis, 23.

The actress recently confirmed son Matty's engagement to model Gabbriette Bechtel after a whirlwind romance. 

Denise, who first met Gabbriette five months into the romance, gushed: 'We couldn't be happier. She is everything I would want in a daughter in law.'

She explained that the couple had broken the news to their loved ones 'a few weeks' ago.

'I have known for a few weeks that Matty got engaged,' she told her co-stars. 'They went over to see their friends Charli and George in New York.'

'I woke up this morning to the fact they've put it on Instagram. Instagram official, he has got engaged to Gabbriette. 

'She is from Los Angeles, she is absolutely gorgeous,' before bizarrely adding: 'She does have a rat.'

The proud mum revealed that Matty had the distinctive ring custom made, gushing:  'Black diamond, he had it made for her and 'couldn't be more thrilled.'