ITV's Loose Women star 'welcomed back' to show with huge on-air surprise

Loose Women got off to a warm start on Thursday's instalment as they welcomed back panel member Tanni Grey Thompson, who has been absent for some time.

Jane Moore, who fronted the show, introduced her trio of panel members, including Katie Piper, and Tanni.

As she approached the multi-Paralympic medallist, who kicked off her career in a club in Cardiff, Wales, Jane said with a huge smile on her face: "Welcome back, Tanni. It's been a while," as the audience lunged into a roaring round of applause.

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Tanni was excited to have made a comeback, but even more thrilled that her panel members had a memorable surprise in store. Jane said, "Now, Tanni, are you a big Jason Donovan fan?"

She gushed, "I was a huge Neighbours fan, cried at the 'the wedding,' and I knew every single word to Joseph because I had a Jason Donovan CD for one of my birthday presents."

Before she could finish her sentence, Jane announced: "Well, look who's here," as Jason Donovan appeared on the programme, embracing Tanni with a kind hug and kiss.

Jason said to the six-time Wheelchair Marathon winner: "Lovely to see you," as she suggested: "We could do a Joseph duet together?"

The former Neighbours star immediately shot down the idea of singing live in front of the nation on the show, telling her: "Maybe not today," as the paralympian let out a huge sigh.

Meanwhile, elsewhere in the programme, talk turned to Freddie Flintoff. The star recently opened up about his harrowing car accident on his new Disney+ + documentary, 'Freddie Flintoff, recalling a time when he'd "wished he'd died" at his lowest point after the crash.

Jane and the other panel members were discussing his feelings and the impact his words and emotions would have had on his loved ones, when Tanni stepped in, stating she "knew how he'd felt".

She told the panel that there were moments when growing up with Spina Bifida, she had faced some distressing comments from members of the public and so-called friends.

Spina Bifida is a condition that causes a baby's spine and spinal cord to not develop properly in the womb and creates a gap in the spine.

Tanni recalled some of the horrendous comments on-air. It was during this time that Tanni remembered an "honest" and heartfelt conversation with her mum.

At the time of Tanni's birth, her mother had not known there had been any medical condition, she told her daughter that didn't know if she had been informed in whether the outcome would have been different.

Speaking positively about the discussion, Tanni praised her mum for being "honest" with her and appreciated understanding her own feelings, much like Freddie's family on the show.

Loose Women airs weekdays on ITV1, from 12:30pm.