We sat down with Coleen Nolan for a chat about her incredible life…
In My 20s
By my twenties, I had already been performing for nearly two decades, having started at just two years old. My sisters and I had achieved international success, with hit records reaching Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan. Our act had gone global, and during our time in Japan, the fan hysteria was like nothing we had ever seen before – we often couldn’t leave the hotel because hundreds of screaming fans would gather outside hoping to catch a glimpse of us!
During this decade, I also became a mum for the first time with the birth of my son, Shane, and married my first husband, Shane Richie. We lived just outside London while I continued recording albums with my sisters and touring around the world.
In My 30s
My thirties brought huge changes both personally and professionally. I became a mum again with the birth of my son Jake, and for a time I was fortunate enough to be able to step back from work to focus on raising my boys and being there for them at home. It was also during this decade that my first marriage came to an end and I moved back to Blackpool, where many of my family had naturally returned to over the years. Being back in the seaside town meant I could spend much more time with my loved ones. I later became a mum for the third time when my daughter Ciara was born, a beautiful Irish name I had always loved.
Professionally, my career took an exciting new direction when I became co-host of This Morning on ITV, taking over from Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan alongside Twiggy. A year after, I moved over to join the panel of Loose Women.
In My 40s
My forties were undoubtedly my busiest decade. By this point, Loose Women had gone from strength to strength and developed a hugely loyal following. I also married my second husband, Ray Fensome, who is Ciara’s dad, and released my first autobiography, Up Front and Personal. During this time, I embraced reality television, joining the line-up for Dancing on Ice and later entering the Celebrity Big Brother house in 2012, where I finished as runner-up.
In 2009, I reunited with my sisters for a major tour across the UK and Ireland, performing in some of the country’s biggest theatres and arenas. We closed the tour at Dublin’s iconic 3Arena; a really unforgettable moment.
In My 50s
My fifties were a more emotional decade. I was grieving the loss of my sister Bernie, something that deeply affected me and took time to come to terms with. After ten years of marriage, Ray and I separated but remained very close friends. Around the same time, I became a grandmother for the first time, a role I absolutely cherish. In my mid-fifties, I returned to the Celebrity Big Brother house for the All Stars series and went on to win the show, which became one of the proudest moments of my career.
I was also honoured to win an Emmy Award for presenting The Real Full Monty on ITV. We made the show for six fantastic years, and it remains one of my favourite projects I’ve ever worked on.
In My 60s
My sixties began with both heartbreak and celebration. Just before entering the new decade, we lost my beloved sister Linda, with whom I shared an incredibly close bond. To lift my spirits, the team at Loose Women organised a very special birthday episode. My family surprised me live on air with a beautiful cake and a celebration I’ll never forget. Around the same time, I moved into my dream home, a beautiful farmhouse nestled in the Staffordshire countryside.
It’s now home to all of my beloved animals, including goats, horses, dogs, ducks, chickens, and cats. These days, I spend a few days each week in London filming Loose Women before returning home to what feels like my second job: caring for all the animals on the farm. I’ve also become a nanny again to my three gorgeous grandsons, Rudy, Sidney, and Cruz, who bring me endless joy. It’s incredible to think that next year I’ll be celebrating 60 years in showbiz, something I couldn’t have imagined when I first stepped on stage as a little girl.
Listen to Coleen’s podcast Let’s Start Talking on platforms now, and stream her episode of Celeb’s Go Dating on Channel 4 too.
