Back to school; 7 things you never knew about.

Byline: DENISE WELCH

ON TELEVISION she's far from the best school teacher in the world, but how does Denise Welch cope in a real classroom? In the new documentary Playing The Part, Denise returns to her old school in Consett, County Durham, to experience the real working life of a teacher.

She takes over from the head of English to discover what it's like in the classroom, with real young minds to help shape. She discovers the harsh reality of lesson planning, marking, disruptive children and inspections.

Teaching isn't completely alien to Denise. As well as playing maneating French teacher Steph Haydock for four series in the BBC1 drama Waterloo Road - which comes to a close this week - she also contemplated going to teacher training college. Her father was a drama teacher and, on leaving drama school, she taught dance.

Playing The Part, BBC1, Thursday, 8pm 1 Born Jacqueline Denise Welch on May 22, 1958, in Ebchester, County Durham, her early TV roles were based in the North East, from Barriers to Byker Grove and Spender. She shot to fame in Soldier Soldier before playing landlady Natalie in Coronation Street. 2 Denise married Brookside actor David Easter in 1985 but divorced three years later, marrying Auf Wiedersehen Pet star Tim Healy. 3 Denise's recent TV work includes sofa adverts, appearing as Petula Clark on Stars In Their Eyes, narrating 10 Years Younger and revealing all about her life on

Loose Women.

4Denise has battled for 20 years with clinical depression, which first struck after she gave birth to son Matthew. At her lowest points, she contemplated suicide. She also battled alcoholism and drug abuse, admitting to binge-drinking until she blacked out. Her Corrie co-star Kevin Kennedy took her along to Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. She says of giving up drinking: "It's the hardest thing I've ever had to do in my life, but it's also the thing I'm proudest of. I will always have depression, but I'm in control of it now because I don't drink."

5She admits her marriage almost fell apart in 2003 when she had an affair while away from home filming Down To Earth.

6She pulled out at the last minute of appearing on the second series of Celebrity Big Brother when her son Louis, then 20 months, was rushed to hospital with a bowel infection.

He is now seven and fully recovered.

7Earlier this year she apologised for wasting police time after mistakenly reporting her car as stolen. She said she was 'morti- fied' when her son pointed out she'd actually left in the car park of the local pub..