(Picture: AP / GETTY)
Denise Welch, the mother of The 1975 frontman Matty Healy, took a shocking dig at his ex Taylor Swift.
During her appearance on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen on Thursday, the British actress and TV personality earned gasps from the audience after a cheeky comment about the pop star.
The Loose Women presenter was finally making her Bravo debut after a previous on-air promise from Cohen, before what started as a light-hearted interview took a more pointed turn when the conversation shifted to Swift’s 2024 album The Tortured Poets Department.
The album is widely believed to contain several songs inspired by Healy, with whom Swift had a brief but high-profile relationship the previous year.
When Cohen asked Welch how she felt about the record, her answer earned a huge reaction.
‘Obviously, on pain of death can I talk about that episode,’ she said, before adding with a laugh, ‘but being her mother-in-law is a role that I am glad that I lost.’
As the crowd reacted, Welch quickly tried to soften the moment: ‘Not that I have anything against her at all,’ she insisted, ‘It was just—it was tricky.’
The 67-year-old presenter continued: ‘Listen, you’re not allowed to say anything, and then she writes a whole album about it.’
Still, she emphasised that her son had taken the public attention in stride, saying Healy handled the aftermath ‘all in completely good grace.’
She also confirmed that Healy is now engaged to model and singer Gabbriette Bechtel, describing her as ‘gorgeous’ and adding, ‘He’s very happy with his amazing fiancée… so we’ve moved on.’
Swift and Healy’s relationship was short but intensely scrutinised. After reconnecting in early 2023, the pair confirmed their romance in May, just weeks after Swift’s split from longtime boyfriend Joe Alwyn.
Healy was spotted at several of her Eras Tour stops and seen entering recording studios with her, prompting speculation about musical collaborations. But by June, the relationship had ended.
Swift released The Tortured Poets Department in April 2024, and while she hasn’t confirmed the identity of the songs’ subjects, fans widely interpreted tracks like The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived and I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can) as reflections on her time with Healy.
Welch’s comments are among the most direct public acknowledgments from someone close to Healy about the strain of being involved with a global superstar who mines her personal life for creative material.
For now, both parties appear to have moved on.
Swift is now in a high-profile relationship with NFL star Travis Kelce, with marriage rumours routinely swirling around the pair. Healy, for his part, is engaged and keeping his music and personal life comparatively low-key.
But as Welch’s appearance reminded viewers, even when the world forgives and forgets, a mother remembers.
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