Coleen Nolan decided to date a younger man after an awakening on Celebs Go Dating. The Loose Women star, 61, joined the reality show to look for love after Kerry Katona's successful stint on the programme. While she did not find 'the one' on the show, she is now happily coupled up with Ryan Brockbank, who she went Instagram official with yesterday.
New Relationship with Ryan Brockbank
Ryan is said to be in his late 40s, and it was the E4 show that made Coleen consider looking for love in different places, including with younger men like Ryan. The pair have been quietly seeing each other for the last few months.
"Coleen is really happy. Her and Ryan have a lot of fun together, they make each other laugh a lot. She was introduced to younger guys while taking part in Celebs Go Dating and it really opened her eyes to having a different kind of relationship," a source told the MailOnline.
Romantic Getaway and Growing Closeness
Coleen and Ryan headed on a romantic getaway to East Sussex last month, where they also enjoyed a trip to Brighton for the day. "Coleen and Ryan had a wonderful time away together. They spent a glorious week exploring the East Sussex countryside and even had a day out in Brighton," a source said. "Coleen knew after their week together that things were going in the right direction with Ryan. It’s all been so easy with him and she couldn’t be happier."
Ryan was mentioned in appearances on the Nolans podcast, but his identity hasn't been revealed until now. He is a lecturer at the Fashion Retail Academy, and Coleen is said to be "pretty smitten."
Coleen's Dating Reflections
"Coleen is pretty smitten with Ryan. She talks about him all the time – her kids know about him and things are moving pretty fast," a source said previously. "He's very creative and a dad himself, so they have lots in common. She learnt about herself and dating when she did Celebs Go Dating and has really applied it to the real world."
Coleen had previously opened up about how dating in her 60s was tough, and one thing men said to her made her ditch them. "It's a minefield. A lot of the attention I get is from younger men sliding into my Instagram DMs, and I think, 'Why? What could you possibly want with me?' My rule is, I don't want to date anyone I could have given birth to," she said. "Some of them act really old, like, 'We're too old for that now.' The minute someone says that, I'm out. I’m 61, but mentally I'm about 35. I want someone who still wants to live, laugh and do things."
