Coleen Nolan, a TV star and Loose Women star, sets the bar high on family and friendship and shares the heartbreaking counsel she received from her now-deceased sisters.
Coleen Nolan, a Loose Women fan, insists that she and her ex-husband are her “best friends” just days after it was reported that the TV star and Ray Fensome, who she split from in 2018, went through a “bitter” divorce. This couldn’t possibly be further from the truth, says Blackpool-born Coleen in an exclusive conversation with OK!
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 says. 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 .”
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In response to persistent rumors of conflict and toxic behavior in the show’s background, Coleen defiantly declares, “On my children’s lives, that’s just not true. It’s not true. We resemble what we do on-screen exactly.
We’re like sisters, so it never lasts. There are times when you say, “You’re getting on my nerves, now.” It’s a shame. There isn’t anything like it, and Loose is such a good show because we’ve accomplished so many wonderful things.
Panellists are subjected to some form of social media trolling, she says with a sigh, whether it be about their appearance or opinions. And as Coleen admits, it can get to her.
It’s unfortunate that they are trying to beat it down, which is typically women. Women should be champions of women! But the genie is out of the bottle, with social media. Only if it will seriously hurt people, when I’m drawn to trolls. It’s absurd.
Coleen says she rarely sees any criticism of the male panellists based on their appearance or topics they talk about”. It comes out as soon as it’s women. She continues, “it’s bizarre.”
But for Coleen, who grew up in one of the most famous singing families in the country, there are still aspects of her life that she hesitates to share on-air.
As far as my breakups from my husbands go, I don’t share anything with personal stuff until it’s somewhat settled. Not Shane]Richie], because we’d already broken up before I started Loose Women – that’s how I got on Loose Women.
“But Ray and I spent a few years talking about it before we actually came out and discussed it.” It’s unfair on the other person because I’m always aware of them. Obviously, when it’s all done, I’ll say, ‘ Yeah, it was a hard couple of years, ‘ but not while we’re going through it – it was hard for him as well”.
Coleen first admits that she is a “great talker” and prefers to talk openly than to keep things bottled up, but she also reveals that her brutal honesty has occasionally led her into difficult situations at home.
After discussing marriage and family on Loose, she says, “Sometimes I’ve come home silent.” “I say to them, ‘ Look, I do a show and if a topic about kids or divorce comes up, I’m going to talk about it. ‘”
Coleen, who moved to a six-acre farm in Dilhorne, Staffordshire, in 2024 to fulfill her dream of being surrounded by animals in the countryside, admits that she doesn’t feel much like a “celebrity” because she has been singing and performing since she was two.
“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”.
This Is Me tour dates in February 2026, according to Coleen Nolan.
Source: Mirror
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