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5 January 2016

“The most outspoken”? Not quite. Katie Price’s Loose Women debut

Not with a bang but a natter.

By Anoosh Chakelian

“Love rats look out!” warned Katie Price in a promotional Loose Women trailer at the end of last year. “Badly-behaved celebs beware, and no-gooders get ready because it’s all about opinions and I’m not going to hold back! The Pricey’s always right! See you in January!”

The latest addition to Loose Women’s panel of tea-fuelled existentialism vowed to be “the most outspoken of them all”. The nation’s sofas tensed in anticipation of her debut, Cup a Soups a-ripple, awaiting the beast of controversy to be unleashed at 12.30pm on Tuesday afternoon.

But perhaps the Pricey is paying the price for her reputation preceding her. Because it was a pretty tame first foray into her new presenting role.

The women, headed up today by Ruth Langsford, kicked off with a jolly discussion of a fantastic (apparently) ITV documentary that aired the night before involving Ant and Dec meeting Prince Charles. Called When Ant and Dec Met the Prince.

“I love anything involving Ant and Dec,” beams Langsford. And on the subject of Charles, Coleen Nolan gushes “I don’t think it [kingship] should bypass him”, with Kaye Adams fawning, “people relate to him”.

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Speaking for the nation, Price gives her stance: “I didn’t see it.”

Her next task is to read out viewers’ emails about whether William should overtake Charles. “‘Would we say the same for George?’” she recites, looking disdainfully at the camera.

During a rambling interview with Ruby Wax about her new book on mindfulness and how she’s a “resident of frazzledom”, Price says nothing, aside from a perfunctory “how’s it helped you, this book?” towards the end.

It looks like things might hot up when Karen Danczuk, the ex-wife of Simon Danczuk MP, comes on to defend her former husband who was recently caught up in a sext scandal.

Price is more interested in this segment. “What do you want to do? Could we see you on something like Big Brother? It could’ve been easy for you to stand in the background. I’ve seen your selfies. Do you want to be a glamour girl? Do you want to be famous?”

A barrage of questions to which Danczuk can only splutter that she’s always been quite good at writing. But this isn’t Price being outspoken – she’s just speaking from experience. These were genuine inquiries.

Next up is an exciting prize giveaway – a five-star holiday to the Maldives. “It’s a fantastic competition,” sighs Langsford, wistfully. “If only we could enter.”

“I’ve been six times,” deadpans Price. Nolan, picking up on the new, jaded tone their latest panellist is introducing, admits, “I got bored when I went.”

Lastly, off the back of The Danish Girl, the women discuss with enthusiasm the idea of their husbands wanting to become women. Price almost yawns her way through this one. “I’ve been in a similar situation. Obviously, one of my husbands liked to dress up as a woman . . . his voice changed, his personality changed.”

Langsford, animated, responds pleadingly: “But if you love somebody…”

“I obviously didn’t love him enough,” Price concludes.

This debut was more Aloof Women than Loose Women.

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