Entertainment

Winners of celebrity couple competition Unbreakable revealed

The celebrity couple went on a journey from addiction to sobriety and have been happily married for more than a decade.
The celebrity couple went on a journey from addiction to sobriety and have been happily married for more than a decade. The celebrity couple went on a journey from addiction to sobriety and have been happily married for more than a decade.

The celebrity couple winners of a competition show which put their relationship to the test have been revealed.

Loose Women star Denise Welch and her artist husband Lincoln Townley were crowned winners of Unbreakable in an episode of the BBC show released on Thursday.

Denise Welch and Lincoln Townley
Denise Welch and Lincoln Townley Denise Welch and Lincoln Townley (Ian West/PA)

During the series, the couple spoke about how they met at a difficult time in their lives, first spotting each other in a nightclub in 2011 and marrying two years later in 2013.

They went on a journey from addiction to sobriety and are happily married a decade on.

Actress Welch, also known for her soap roles in Coronation Street, Waterloo Road and Hollyoaks, said: “I am overjoyed, I can’t tell you. We had no doubt that we were unbreakable, but I’m just really glad to share that story with other people.

“It’s never too late to turn your life around. I love Lincoln and this is just the icing on the cake – and to have such a lovely reaction from people that you have grown very close to, it is very very very special.”

The reality show, hosted by comedian Rob Beckett, put six celebrity couples through a series of mental, physical and emotional challenges.

Shirley Ballas and actor Daniel Taylor
Shirley Ballas and actor Daniel Taylor Strictly Come Dancing’s Shirley Ballas and actor Daniel Taylor (ian West/PA)

The couples were eliminated over the course of six weeks, before Welch, 64, and Townley, 49, who does abstract portraits of celebrities, took the top spot.

They beat fellow finalists Strictly Come Dancing’s Shirley Ballas and actor Danny Taylor, and stand-up comedian Stephen Bailey and employment lawyer Rich Taylor.

Anjula Mutanda, who judged the couples along with fellow relationship expert Maria McErlane, said: “(Welch and Townley’s) relationship started from such a difficult beginning and they have risen like a phoenix from the flames.

“They are such a strong couple.”

Unbreakable is available on BBC iPlayer.