Celebrity Big Brother: Could Denise Welch win?

Earlier this week, when Denise Welch sparked one of the most intense, emotional and heartbreaking moments in Big Brother history by pulling down a Playboy model's pants, she referred to her stint in the house as nothing short of a "nightmare".

A fair assessment perhaps, given that in just three weeks the Loose Women star has been pushed to breaking point on an almost daily basis by her arguments with Michael Madsen, been berated for stripping off for a drunken dip with a 19-year-old and reportedly raised concern that the trials of the house could kickstart her long-standing issues with depression.

Viewers and housemates alike can't seem to figure her out. Is she a victim or has the ill-feeling in the house developed from her sometimes questionable behaviour? Are her emotional outbursts cries for help or cries for attention?

Regardless on individual standpoints, there's no question that the Benidorm favourite has been struggling in the house in pretty much every way possible - but perhaps this nightmare could be building up to the dream ending. Could Denise Welch defy the odds and win Celebrity Big Brother?



Reality Bites will admit that at the beginning of the series we had Denise down as a potential first evictee rather than a winner. We couldn't shake the feeling that as a notoriously outspoken individual, she'd end up letting her mouth run away with her when stuck in front of a camera 24/7.

The bookmakers apparently have been unable to shake this perception, playing it safe by naming nice guy Gareth Thomas and cheeky-chappy Frankie Cocozza as favourites for the win. But if there's one thing we know about it Big Brother, it's to expect the unexpected.

Jedward seemed to have it in the bag last year, but they ended up losing to Gypsy Wedding star Paddy Doherty, a celebrity-of-a-certain-age with a hard-as-nails public persona that won the hearts of viewers by showing a more fragile, vulnerable side in the house. Sound familiar?

Big Brother is one area of life where nice girls have proven to finish last. Well, fifth or six place at least. Just look at the latest winner in the franchise - BB12 winner Aaron Allard-Morgan, who topped the public vote despite receiving one of the worst receptions of the series when he was voted out.

And while the Shannon twins are arguably the most Aaron-esque of the celebrity cast, having gained respect for the sheer audacity of their narcissistic ways, the controversial champion picked up votes not necessarily because of character traits or personality, but because of what he represented – the driving force of the series.

With the casual viewers mostly gone, the diehards have more influence and they rightly want to validate each series by selecting the most deserving candidate. These are the people that campaigned for Aisleyne to beat beloved tourettes sufferer Pete due to the development she displayed through her series.

They pushed Makosi into third place at a time when the tabloids and their loyal army of readers were baying for blood. Of course, it makes sense to them that this gameshow gets a winner who was a worthy player. And unless there's a shock return for Andrew Stone on the way, it's hard to argue that anyone has been more integral to this series than Denise.



Even before then, when the show had a bigger pool of viewers and voters, there was still this feeling that the Big Brother crown should be some form of reward for hardship in the house. Few are likely to count Shilpa Shetty amongst their favourite housemates of all time, but it just seemed right to vote her the winner of CBB5 after the infamous race row.

Then there's Ulrika Jonsson, who came out of nowhere to be crowned champion the following series after being dangerously close to shattering every second of the way. Arguably she is the winner that most resembles Denise's character in the house – a mature woman known for being a sharp and sometimes scandalous showboater broken down in a matter of days in the confines of an Elstree prison.

After more than a decade of exposure to reality shows, we the viewers are apparently as savvy to the idea of story arcs as the producers themselves. And we love a heart-warming ending.

Likewise, Big Brother has often been a place to celebrate those who have lost out in the high school of life. Brian, Nadia, the aforementioned Pete, shy and quiet girl Rachel - all could be treated like outsiders on the outside, but in the house they become stars.

It's always more satisfying to see someone celebrate their win in tears, having attached a real meaning to coming top of a popularity contest with all that could be picked apart about them in the real world.

In Denise's case, a Big Brother win would undoubtedly do wonders to combat the stigma that must have come - however quiet - as she battled depression, alcohol addiction and a drug problem.



And let's not forget that Denise does have quite a substantial fanbase out there already. She's been in the public eye for around 15 years as part of TV institutions such as Coronation Street, Loose Women and Benidorm.

She finished sixth out of 16 contestants on last year's Dancing on Ice despite limping around the bottom of the judges' scoreboard virtually the whole way through. But little by little she got better and soon her existing supporters found that they had more company.

As the judges praised her efforts on the show, more viewers joined Team Welch and rewarded her growth. She impressed by choosing to tread more carefully, pick herself up after he injuries and learn from her mistakes - isn't it conceivable she could do the same in Big Brother?

Like we said before, Big Brother is anything but predictable. We here at Digital Spy have been surprised so many times before - we were gasping too when Kirk and Natalie got booted last week.

But with no clear favourite going into the final, don't be surprised if the most talked-about contestant of the series ends up getting the last word.

> Celebrity Big Brother The Final poll: Who do you want to win?

Do you think Denise stands a chance of winning Celebrity Big Brother? Will she be getting your vote? Leave your comments below!