Denise Welch has hinted viewers could be in for an interesting episode of Loose Women this week as Nicola Sturgeon is set to appear.
The popular telly host teased that it could be a fiery interview as Scotland’s First Minister will go head-to-head with outspoken panelist Carol McGiffin.
The FM is due to chat with the Loose Women panelists on the ITV show on Wednesday.
Former Coronation Street star Denise, who has been outspoken about Coronavirus restrictions throughout the pandemic, made her comments on the back of cops confirming no further action will be taken against the SNP leader after she momentarily forgot to wear a face mask in a barber shop.
Denise has previously slammed the UK Government for breaking its own rules with the ‘Partygate’ fiasco.
(Image: Getty Images for GLAAD)
Carol, also famously not afraid of saying what she thinks, has also been critical of the government’s response to the pandemic and has blasted lockdowns and the vaccine roll-out schemes across the country.
Denise posted on Twitter: “Guess who’s on @loosewomen on Wednesday…..Nicola Sturgeon. Guess who’s on the panel…… @McGiff.”
The facemask row kicked off after a video posted on social media appeared to show Nicola Sturgeon not wearing a mask during a visit to a barber’s in East Kilbride on Saturday.
At the time, there was still a legal requirement to wear a face covering in most indoor public places in Scotland, including shops, public transport and hairdressers. That rule has come to an end today.
In the video, the First Minister appeared to pat the head of a man in a barber’s chair while mimicking the sound of an electric razor.
The SNP had said the FM had only been mask-less for seconds.
Police yesterday announced they had received a complaint from a member of the public but will not pursue the matter after speaking to the politician.
“Local officers have spoken to the First Minister to remind her of the importance of wearing a face covering when there is a legal requirement to do so,” police said in a statement.
“Given the circumstances of this incident, Police Scotland is satisfied that no further action is necessary. This is in line with our proportionate approach throughout the pandemic.”
Sturgeon said: “On Saturday, while campaigning outdoors in East Kilbride I was invited into a local barber shop. After a few seconds of being in the shop, I realised I had forgotten to put my face covering back on. I then immediately put it on.
“However, I accept that not wearing a face covering even for a few seconds was an error on my part and I am sorry for that.
“Having received complaints about the matter, Police Scotland made contact with me.
“This is what they would have done with anyone else in these circumstances, and they were absolutely right to treat me no differently to any other citizen. I explained that the error was inadvertent and the police have confirmed that the matter is closed.
“While the law no longer requires face coverings to be worn, I will continue to do so in circumstances where this can help reduce the risk of infection, and I encourage everyone to do likewise.”
Get the latest celebrity gossip and telly news sent straight to your inbox. Sign up to our weekly Showbiz newsletter here.
