Loose Women panellist Denise Welch has faced outrage from viewers after her comments regarding missing person Nicola Bulley.
Nicola, 45, has sadly been missing for 14 days and the search for the mum-of-two continues in earnest.
The missing mum was last spotted walking her dog on January 27 after dropping off her children at school in St Michaels on Wyre in Lancashire.
Nicola's phone was later found on a bench overlooking the river that ran through her daily dog walk, and her pooch Willow was wandering around the area.
But despite police and the authorities urging the public not to speculate too much about what could have happened to the mum-of-two on social media, Denise had strong opinions on the subject.
"This is the problem, we’ve created globally all of these armchair detectives," she told the rest of the panel.
"And I am partly responsible because I’ve made no bones of the fact that in my mind I’m the 'Crime Minister'.
"You know I’m obsessed with true life crime. When I was young and you had the news at 6pm and a couple of newspapers, all of these things went on and you didn’t know very much about it.
"But now we see it played out in real life and Lincoln and I are responsible for it because we know now, well we think we know, a lot about forensics," Denise continued.
"I was guilty of it the other day, screaming at the television: ‘Why are people walking along that area? That should still be a crime scene. That should still be evidence.’
"Then I thought 'hang on a minute, there’s obviously a reason why they haven’t kept that.'"
"But you think that you know because you watch so many crime shows," Denise added boldly.
Angry viewers took to Twitter to complain about Denise's own version of speculating on the case in response.
One person fumed: "So ‘don’t speculate about this case’ has been what ITV has said ALL Morning all throughout their programmes, while they sit there doing exactly that – speculating."
"Why are Loose Women allowed to talk about it and we’re not?" another viewer questioned.
While a third noted: "Also there has to be some speculation; how is Nicola going to be found if theories are being ruled out because they make people uncomfortable to consider #LooseWomen."
The case's lead investigator Superintendent Sally Riley previously advised the public not to "take the law into their own hands" or "do anything that would thwart" the investigation, but speculation continues to grow on social media the longer there's no evidence about Nicola's whereabouts.
Riley also added: "Nor is it helpful if people, particularly if they come from outside the area, take it upon themselves to take the law into their own hands by trying to, for example, break into empty property."
READ MORE:
Katie Price slammed as daughter Bunny, 8, wears full face of make-up to aunt’s wedding
'I just came out of Love Island – some couples aren't genuine', says Zara
Kate Middleton beams as she's reunited with her old teacher in sweet pictures from royal engagement
Vanessa Hudgens flashes huge diamond as she confirms engagement: 'We couldn’t be happier'
'My magical birth' Molly-Mae Hague emotionally details baby Bambi's labour – from epidural to scary collapse
Source: Read Full Article