Coleen Nolan is an English-Irish singer, television personality and author whose career has stretched from childhood performances with her family to decades on British television. Born on 12 March 1965 in Blackpool, she became widely recognised as a member of The Nolans, the Anglo-Irish girl group formed with her sisters. The group achieved international success and became one of the best-known female acts associated with British popular music. Away from singing, she developed a successful broadcasting career, becoming a familiar face on ITV’s Loose Women and other television programmes. Her personal life has also attracted considerable public interest, particularly her marriages, three children and close relationship with the wider Nolan family. Today, she is recognised not simply as a former pop singer but as an established broadcaster, author, columnist and long-standing figure in UK entertainment.
Who is Coleen Nolan?
Coleen Patricia Nolan was born on 12 March 1965 in Blackpool, Lancashire. She grew up in a large family with strong connections to music and entertainment, an environment that shaped her professional life from an exceptionally young age.
She is best known for two major stages of her career: performing with The Nolans and becoming a television personality. The transition between those careers is an important part of her story because her public profile did not depend solely on her early success in music.
Her work has subsequently included television presenting, panel shows, writing and advice columns. She has also spoken openly about relationships, motherhood, family and the experiences that have shaped her life.
This broad career explains why searches about her often extend beyond music to include her age, children, husband, sisters, career and current television work.
How old is Coleen Nolan?
Born on 12 March 1965, the Blackpool-born entertainer is 61 years old in 2026.
Her age is particularly interesting in the context of her career because she entered show business as a child and has remained professionally active for decades. Few entertainers successfully maintain public recognition across such different stages of the entertainment industry.
Her career began during an era when family singing groups were a significant part of popular entertainment. She later moved into television at a time when daytime programmes were becoming increasingly influential in British broadcasting.
Rather than being defined by one period of success, her professional life has developed alongside major changes in television, music and celebrity culture.
The Nolans and her early music career
The Nolans were the foundation of her original fame. The family group featured several of the Nolan sisters and became known internationally for its energetic pop performances.
Their success included the famous song “I’m in the Mood for Dancing”, which remains closely associated with the group and continues to introduce their music to newer audiences.
The family act reportedly sold more than 30 million records worldwide, making The Nolans one of the most commercially successful girl groups to emerge from Britain and Ireland.
Her early career gave her valuable experience in several areas:
- Live performance and touring
- Recording and studio work
- Television appearances
- International entertainment
- Performing as part of a close family group
That foundation also helped prepare her for the confidence and communication skills required in later television work.
The Nolan family and her famous sisters
Family is central to understanding the singer’s career. She was raised alongside siblings including Bernie, Linda, Maureen, Denise and Anne Nolan, several of whom became professional performers.
The Nolan family became particularly well known because several members pursued careers in entertainment. This created an unusual situation in which music, touring and show business were part of everyday family life.
Bernie Nolan became a successful singer and actress, while Linda, Maureen, Denise and Anne also became associated with The Nolans or their own entertainment projects.
The family has experienced both major professional achievements and significant personal losses. As a result, discussions about the singer frequently overlap with searches concerning her sisters, family history and The Nolans’ legacy.
Her move from music into television
The move from music to television was one of the most important developments in her career. Instead of relying on her identity as a former pop performer, she developed a separate reputation as a presenter and panellist.
Television suited her conversational style and ability to discuss personal subjects in an accessible way. Her experience performing in front of audiences also provided a natural foundation for live broadcasting.
She eventually became associated with programmes including Loose Women, This Morning, Dancing on Ice and Celebrity Big Brother.
Her television career demonstrates how established entertainers can successfully reinvent themselves. The transition also introduced her to audiences who may have known little about her earlier work with her sisters.
Coleen Nolan and Loose Women
Loose Women became one of the defining parts of her broadcasting career. She joined the ITV daytime panel in 2000, later took a break and returned to the programme in 2013.
The format allowed her to discuss subjects that were closely connected to everyday life, including relationships, parenting, ageing, family disagreements and personal experiences.
Her appeal on the programme comes partly from her willingness to speak in a direct and conversational manner. Rather than approaching every subject as a formal television interview, she frequently contributes personal experiences and opinions.
This helped establish her as one of the programme’s recognisable long-term panellists. For many viewers, her television identity eventually became more prominent than her earlier career as a member of a successful singing group.
Her television work beyond Loose Women
Although the ITV panel show is strongly associated with her, her broadcasting career extends further.
She has appeared on entertainment and daytime programmes and has taken part in major reality television formats. Her involvement with Dancing on Ice demonstrated a willingness to take on challenges outside the traditional panel-show environment.
She also entered Celebrity Big Brother, winning the nineteenth series in 2017.
These appearances helped reinforce her status as an established television personality rather than someone known solely for a single programme. They also introduced different aspects of her personality to viewers, from competitive entertainment to more personal discussions.
Her experience across live television, reality formats and daytime broadcasting has given her an unusually broad television portfolio.
Who are her children?
The television personality has three children: Shane Nolan, Jake Roche and Ciara Fensome.
Her sons Shane and Jake are from her marriage to actor and entertainer Shane Richie, while Ciara is her daughter from her later marriage to musician Ray Fensome.
Family life has remained an important subject in her public career. She has spoken about motherhood and the challenge of raising children while working in entertainment.
Her children have also developed careers of their own. Shane Nolan has been involved in entertainment, while Jake Roche became known as a musician and member of the band Rixton.
This next generation has therefore extended the family’s connection with the entertainment industry.
Who were her husbands?
She has been married twice.
Her first marriage was to actor and entertainer Shane Richie. The couple married in 1990 and had two sons, Shane and Jake, before divorcing in 1999.
She later married musician Ray Fensome in 2007. They had one daughter, Ciara, and remained married until their divorce in 2018.
Her relationships have sometimes featured in television discussions, but she has also spoken about the importance of maintaining positive family relationships after a marriage ends.
The two marriages form an important part of her biography because they connect directly with her three children and her later reflections on family, relationships and motherhood.
Her career as an author and columnist
Writing has become another significant part of her professional identity. Alongside television, she has worked as an author and advice columnist.
This side of her career complements the subjects she regularly discusses on television. Her writing has allowed her to explore relationships, personal experiences and family matters in greater depth than a short television discussion permits.
The combination of broadcasting and writing has also strengthened her reputation as someone audiences turn to for personal and relationship perspectives.
Rather than treating her career as a simple progression from singer to presenter, it is more accurate to view it as an expansion from entertainment into communication, journalism and advice-based media.
What is she doing now?
In 2026, the long-established entertainer remains associated with television and continues to be recognised for her work as a broadcaster and personality.
Her career has evolved considerably since her days with The Nolans. Music remains an important part of her professional history, but her later work has focused more heavily on television, writing, family and personal-interest subjects.
She has also embraced newer forms of communication. Her social media presence gives audiences another way to follow her professional activities and personal projects.
This continued visibility demonstrates the longevity of her career. From family-group performances to modern television and digital media, she has adapted to several generations of entertainment.
Is Coleen Nolan worth following?
For anyone interested in British entertainment history, her career offers much more than celebrity headlines.
She represents a rare example of someone who successfully moved between different areas of the industry while maintaining a recognisable public identity.
Her career is particularly interesting because it combines:
- International pop success with The Nolans
- Decades of television experience
- Long-term involvement with Loose Women
- Reality television appearances
- Authorship and advice journalism
- A well-known entertainment family
- A career spanning childhood performance to modern broadcasting
For fans of British television and popular music, this combination provides a useful perspective on how entertainment careers can evolve over several decades.
Frequently asked questions
When was Coleen Nolan born?
She was born on 12 March 1965 in Blackpool, Lancashire, England.
How many children does she have?
She has three children: Shane Nolan, Jake Roche and Ciara Fensome.
Is she still associated with Loose Women?
Yes. She is one of the long-established personalities associated with ITV’s Loose Women and has remained part of its wider television family since returning to the programme in 2013.
Was she a member of The Nolans?
Yes. She performed with her sisters as part of The Nolans, the internationally successful family singing group best known for songs including “I’m in the Mood for Dancing”.
Who is her former husband Shane Richie?
Shane Richie is an English actor, comedian, singer and television personality. He was married to her from 1990 until 1999, and they have two sons together.
Conclusion
Coleen Nolan’s story is one of remarkable career reinvention. She first entered the entertainment industry as a young performer alongside her sisters in The Nolans, helping the family group achieve international recognition. Decades later, she had established an entirely different identity as a television presenter, author, advice columnist and familiar face on Loose Women. Her personal story is equally important to understanding her public profile, with three children, two marriages and a close connection to one of Britain’s best-known entertainment families.
What makes her career particularly notable is its longevity and adaptability. She has remained relevant by moving beyond music into television and modern media while continuing to draw on real-life experiences. For audiences researching her age, family, children, husbands, sisters, music career or television work, these different chapters together provide the clearest picture of her enduring place in British entertainment.
