Denise Welch cast as Queen Elizabeth II in Princess Diana musical
15 June 2023, 11:26 | Updated: 15 June 2023, 11:29
Loose Women star Denise Welch will play Queen Elizabeth II in Diana: The Musical.
Denise Welch has been cast as the late Queen in brand new West End show Diana: The Musical.
The Loose Women star, 65, is set to take on the role of Elizabeth II in the concert-style production based on the life of Princess Diana.
The ex-soap star, whose son is The 1975 frontman Matty Healy, will wear the royal crown when she takes to the stage this December to perform for one night only in London.
Sharing the exciting news with fans on Instagram, Denise shared her striking headshot alongside details of the spectacle.
"Diana. In concert. Eventim Apollo. December 4th," she wrote alongside emojis of a crown.
Fans were quick to congratulate the former Benidorm actress on her latest role, with TV presenter Katie Piper commenting: "Iconic as always."
While fellow actress Rebecca Humphries added: "Oh. My. God. I’m obsessed with you."
Twitter also exploded over the news as fans branded the casting choice "the most iconic British pop culture moment in the 21st Century".
"Did not have seeing Denise Welch in Diana the musical on my 2023 bingo but I’m not mad about it," said one social media user.
"When you think about it maybe matty healy and taylor swift were never dating and in fact were just helping denise welch do method acting for her role as queen elizabeth in diana the musical," joked a second.
The Broadway original details the "dazzling and devastating" life of Princess Diana in the wake of her divorce from the former Prince of Wales.
Told in two-parts, the musical is narrated by Wicked actress Kerry Ellis, who plays an older version of Diana.
She takes the audience back in time to 19-year-old Diana, played by Maiya Quansah-Breed, when she first captured the hearts of the nation and delves deeper into her difficult and life-changing decisions.
The "radical new version", which originally premiered in New York in 2021, will open at the Eventim Apollo on 4th December.
The musical marks Denise's return to theatre after she previously starred in the 2018 Calendar Girls UK Tour.
Read more:
- Denise Welch: Net worth, career and sons revealed
- Denise Welch shocks Loose Women co-stars after revealing real name
- Never-before-seen portrait of Princess Diana revealed in new exhibition
