Coleen Nolan delivered a poignant and heartfelt confession about experiencing profound loneliness during the festive season on Thursday's episode of ITV's Loose Women. The 60-year-old panelist returned to the show alongside Charlene White, 45, Brenda Edwards, 56, and Gloria Hunniford, 85, where conversation turned to Christmas preparations.
A Season of Change Brings Unexpected Loneliness
While Coleen has already put up her Christmas decorations, the task brought unexpected emotions. 'It was the loneliest I've felt,' she revealed to her fellow panelists. When Charlene White asked her to explain why, Coleen elaborated that this year marked a significant family milestone. 'Because it's the first Christmas ever, ever, I've put the decorations up on my own,' she said.
The television personality reflected on how her children have all embarked on their own journeys into parenthood, creating new family units. 'I was really lonely, it was the first time I thought "Oh all my kids have their family",' Coleen shared. She explained that while she could have phoned them for help, she consciously decided to give them space. 'They've all become new parents. I thought, I need to let them have that moment with their family.'
Navigating New Family Dynamics
Coleen humorously noted the result of her solo decorating effort, stating her Christmas tree looked like it had 'been vomited on' compared to previous years when her daughter Ciara, who has 'an eye for it,' would take charge. The simple act of decorating alone highlighted the shifting dynamics within her family.
Her co-star Charlene White offered comforting words, predicting this phase would evolve. 'Your grandchildren and stuff, and as they start getting older, your Christmases will change and they will become the centre,' Charlene said. 'They'll help you put up the Christmas decorations.'
This emotional revelation comes after Coleen became a grandmother for the third time in October, when her daughter Ciara gave birth to a baby boy. She is already a grandmother to her son Shane Jr's daughter, Amelia, born in 2016, and her younger son Jake's baby boy, born last year.
From Personal Life to Panel Discussions
Coleen's personal life has been a topic of discussion on the show before. The presenter is currently single, having been previously married to Shane Richie, 61, with whom she shares her two sons, and to Ray Fensome, 67, father to her daughter. She also recently dated Michael Jones for three years before splitting last year.
Just days before her Christmas confession, Coleen left her Loose Women co-stars stunned with an X-rated revelation about her love life. During Tuesday's show, a clip from the programme's podcast was played where Coleen and Christine Lampard discussed watching pornography with their partners.
'Don't knock it until you've tried it,' Coleen advised on the podcast, confessing she would recommend it to anyone. Back in the studio, when Janet Street-Porter asked if she was 'fully clothed when you watched the porn,' Coleen quipped, 'Well that would be pointless, wouldn't it?' before eventually exclaiming, 'Oh my God - can we stop?!'
This isn't the first time Coleen has openly discussed her sex life on the programme. Last month, she joked she was 'just looking for someone for six minutes,' causing the panel to burst into laughter.
Loose Women airs weekdays from 12:30pm on ITV1 and is available to stream on ITVX.
