Although there are reports that she and her ex-husband Ray Fensome were going through a bitter divorce, Coleen Nolan herself has spoken out.
Coleen Nolan of Loose Women insists that she and her ex-husband are “best friends.” The report comes just days after it was reported that the TV star and Ray Fensome, who she split from in 2018, went through a “bitter” divorce. But Blackpool-born Coleen insists this couldn’t be further from the truth.
Ray, a musician, recently appeared on Loose Women during their groundbreaking mental health-inspired programme, playing guitar in the Loose band. “Before the programme had even finished, there was a story online about how Ray had been offered a full-time job at Loose Women, even though we had a terrible divorce,” Coleen told the Mirror.
The speculation, the 60-year-old explains, can be “really frustrating”, adding, “I don’t know why they’ve massively got it in for Loose”. In response to persistent rumors about heated debates and toxic behavior in the show’s background, Coleen retorts defiantly, “On my children’s lives, that’s just not true. It isn’t accurate. We are exactly like how we are on-screen.
” There are moments when you go, ‘ You’re getting on my nerves, now, ‘ and I love that because we’re like sisters, it never lasts. It’s unfortunate. There isn’t anything like it, and we’ve accomplished so many wonderful things in Loose. “Each day, she says with a sigh, panellists are subjected to some kind of trolling on social media, be it about their appearance or opinions. And as Coleen admits, she can be bothered by it.
It’s unfortunate that they are trying to beat it down, which is typically women. Women should be championing women! Social media, however, has the bottle cracked. Only if it will seriously hurt people, when I’m drawn to trolls. It’s ridiculous. According to Coleen, “Coleen says she rarely feels any bias against the male panellists based on their looks or subjects.” It comes out as soon as it’s women. It’s bizarre, “she adds.
There are still parts of Coleen’s life that she hesitates to share on-air despite having grown up in one of the country’s most well-known singing families. I don’t share personal matters until they are somewhat settled, including my breakups from my husbands. Not Shane]Richie], because we’d already broken up before I started Loose Women – that’s how I got on Loose Women.
“But with Ray, there were a couple of years before I actually came out and talked about it. It’s unfair on the other person because I’m always aware of them. When it’s all said and done, I’ll say, “Yes, it was a difficult couple of years, but not while we’re going through it; it was also difficult for him.”
Coleen is the first to admit she’s a “great talker” and would rather share than keep things bottled up – but reveals her brutal honesty has sometimes got her into tricky situations at home. After discussing marriage and family on Loose, she says, “Sometimes, I’ve come home silent.” I tell them, “Look, I do a show, and I’m going to talk about it if a topic about kids or divorce comes up.”
Singing and performing from the age of two, Coleen – who moved to a six-acre farm in Dilhorne, Staffordshire, in 2024 to fulfil her dream of being surrounded by animals in the countryside – admits that she doesn’t feel much like a “celebrity”.
“I think people have a certain impression of celebrities, and I’m not that. I’m not at every red-carpet event. I’m happiest at home, covered in horse poo and taking the dogs for a walk! And as far as being open, I’d rather be that way – I don’t think the public are stupid. If you go on air and deliver a fake persona, which a lot do, it’s hard to live up to.”
Her older sisters Maureen, Anne, and Denise recently performed The Nolans’ biggest hits on stage, but Coleen says she is unprepared for the band’s return, aside from the occasional family gathering or one-time performance.
As a family, the Nolans have suffered devastating heartache, not least, the deaths of Bernie in 2013 and Linda in January of this year, both after courageously battling cancer right until the end. Coleen admits that going without them would be too strange.
Without Bernie and Linda, I couldn’t go on a tour. Bernie was the lead singer, and Linda was a force to be reckoned with. I would miss them way too much. The four of us wouldn’t feel the same when we actually performed.
Heartbreakingly, Coleen reveals that her two sisters gave the family strict rules when they first fell ill. “I remember Bernie saying to me, ‘ I’ll give you two weeks to cry and cry a lot because I’m worth it, but then, shut up and get back out there. ‘ That is what I recall. The same Linda existed. If they can be that strong when they went through what they went through, I have no right to hide under a duvet”.
She adds that Coleen and her family were greatly comforted by the public’s outpouring of love as they battled both setbacks. “It meant so much to us and it makes me so sad for people that haven’t got that. Some people have to deal with those situations alone, perhaps without a family. I was so appreciative of it. It really helped, a lot. The Blackpool Tower, when Linda passed away, didn’t tell us when they turned it pink the next day. It was very emotional.
Coleen says talking about grief on the show can be tough. It’s sometimes difficult because you have to go out, smile, and put on a face. I started therapy after Linda’s passing because I found it to be very difficult for a while. I really struggled to get back on the horse. However, life goes on, and your bills always seem to be paying. I don’t know how I would have felt if I had been a multimillionaire; that’s why I needed therapy; I needed a logical person to explain things to me. I needed someone I could cry openly with. Because my family was going through their own pain, I didn’t want to cry in front of them.
Grief is something that Coleen is still coming to terms with, as she reveals how, like many people, it hits her out of the blue, leaving her heartbroken all over again. But most recently, Coleen has found joy on her farm, which she documents on her own YouTube channel, adding that she would “absolutely” love to do a family reality show. “I did pitch it to a lot of channels,” she confesses. “I’m probably the wrong age and size for them. I don’t fit the criteria.”
However, there are still many options open. Next year, Coleen is on the road again for This Is Me, her second solo tour, promising a night of laughter, stories, surprises – and even a song or two. “I’m really excited!” Because I haven’t yet put it together, I’m a little anxious. I’m at that stage where I’m having sleepless nights thinking about how we’re going to do it”!
Fans who had forgotten Coleen was a singer first contacted her after her recent performance on Loose Women. She says, “I very rarely sing any more,” and that all I’ve ever done is realize that’s what I was born to do. It’s nice to be able to do both on this tour. I want to ask the audience questions and answers, have fun, and then interject my life story with songs.
She’s “scared” of the stories his older son, musician Shane Nolan, may spill, and she’s excited to see him play. “When we did the last tour, Shane was my support, then came on during my set. Because he is my son, I can tell him to shut up because I’m comfortable with him”! she asserts.
“He knows me and I know him, we’ve got the exact same sense of humour, and he’s such an entertainer”.
Coleen Nolan: This Is Me tours in February 2026.
