Coleen on Piers Morgan's Life Stories
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Coleen Nolan discusses broken marriage with Shane Richie on Piers Morgan’s Life Stories

Coleen opens up about her failed marriages on Piers Morgan's Life Stories

Coleen Nolan is the latest celebrity to share her life story with Piers Morgan on ITV1 (Thursday March 18 2021), including her broken marriage to Shane Richie – but what went wrong between them?

Did he cheat on her? And how long were they together?

Here’s everything you need to know about Coleen Nolan and Shane Richie’s marriage.

Coleen Nolan breaks down while chatting to Piers Morgan (Credit: ITV1)
Coleen Nolan breaks down while chatting to Piers Morgan (Credit: ITV1)

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Coleen Nolan and Shane Richie: How long were they married?

Singer Coleen married Shane – real name Shane Roche – in 1990.

She was one part of the sibling group The Nolans, and he was an up-and-coming performer in musicals and was just breaking into television.

The pair first met in 1986 and planned to marry in a huge ceremony in 1990.

However, they eloped to Florida at the last minute when their plans spiralled out of control.

The couple split in 1997 when she discovered he had been cheating.

Did Shane Richie cheat on Coleen Nolan?

There’s one thing Shane Richie has probably learnt over the years and it’s don’t cheat on a member of the Loose Women panel.

Or rather, better not to cheat on anybody at all.

Coleen has spoken openly in the past about why her marriage to Shane failed – she blames his infidelity.

She discovered the devastating news of Shane’s affair in a phone call from his mistress’ mum!

Talking on Loose Women, Coleen said: “After two years of finding things out and getting back together, the thing that got me was when the girl he was seeing’s mum phoned and asked ‘do you know where Shane is?'”

“I replied that he was on a work trip, but the woman said: ‘No, he’s on holiday with my daughter’.”

Coleen added: “I was so calm. It was that instant moment when I thought that’s it. My heart shut down.”

She also details finding messages between the illicit lovers on Shane’s phone.

In his own autobiography, Rags to Riches, Shane admitted cheating on Coleen with dancer Claire Taylor.

He said: “I was lying so much that I couldn’t remember which story I’d told to each of them. And I’d lie to cover up the lies.”

In 2012, Coleen told the Daily Star: “I’m in a much happier place now than when I was married to Shane – I don’t have to worry about what he gets up to any more.”

For Shane’s part, he told the Guardian there was “no excuse” for his behaviour.

Coleen Nolan meets Piers Morgan in Life Stories (Credit: ITV1)
Coleen Nolan meets Piers Morgan in Life Stories (Credit: ITV1)

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Did Coleen Nolan cheat on Shane Richie?

Coleen has also admitted that she cheated on Shane, too, BEFORE discovering he had played away.

She confided in good friend Bradley Walsh, who she said hinted that she wasn’t the only one up to no good.

According to Coleen, The Chase star – who once dated her sister Bernie – said: “I’m not being funny, Coleen.

“I get on great with Shane, but you don’t need to feel as guilty as you do.

“He’s not so innocent either.”

Do they have kids together?

Coleen and Shane had two sons together – Shane Roche Jr. born in 1988 and Jake Roche, born in 1992.

Jake has pursued a showbiz career like his parents, and portrayed Isaac Nuttall in Emmerdale.

Talking about his parents’ divorce when he was nine years old, he has said: “I remember seeing on the front pages about my dad cheating.

But, as horrible as that was, we didn’t fully understand because we were so young – so it’s not had this massive, damaging impact on us or anything.”

Coleen went on to have daughter Ciara in June 2001 with musician Ray Fensome.

Shane has five children in total, two with Coleen and three more with his second wife Christie.

Shane and Christie have Mackenzie Blue, Lolita Bell and Romani-Skye Angel Shelley.

TV presenter Coleen Nolan with her son, Shane Richie Jr (Credit: Splash)
TV presenter Coleen Nolan with her son Shane Jr (Credit: Splash)

Have Shane and Coleen remarried?

Shane married actress Christie Goddard in 2007, and they are still happily married.

Shane has said of Christie: “For the first time since Coleen, I’d found a relationship that was based on honesty. It was pure. There were no secrets or lies.”

Coleen went on to marry musician Ray Fensome.

Sadly, their marriage also broken down and they divorced in 2018.

She told her Loose Women panellists that they had been “having issues”.

She said: “We’ve really tried, we’ve both tried – we are never ones to just call it a day.

“But it gets to a point where you think, it’s not working, life has done that and we can’t get it back together.”

Is Coleen single or dating?

Coleen was recently dating a man eight years younger than her.

They met on a dating app in 2020, and kept in contact via Zoom calls over lockdown.

She told The Mirror that they didn’t find the age gap to be a problem, although she did worry that she is “too old for him”.

She said: “I have moments of worrying I’m a bit too old for him. But he’s divorced with children, as am I, so we have a lot in common.”

However, she tells Piers she is single and would like to find love again.

When Piers asks what she’s looking for, she replies: “I’m not that fussy. Tall and a pulse. That’s all I need.”

Coleen with her Loose Women gals (Credit: ITV1) LOOSE WOMEN Weekdays on ITV Pictured: Ruth Langsford, Coleen Nolan, Gloria Hunniford and Saira Khan Photographer Ken McKay (C) ITV For further information please contact Peter Gray 0207 157 3046 peter.gray@itv.com This photograph is © ITV and can only be reproduced for editorial purposes directly in connection with the programme This Morning or ITV. Once made available by the ITV Picture Desk, this photograph can be reproduced once only up until the Transmission date and no reproduction fee will be charged. Any subsequent usage may incur a fee. This photograph must not be syndicated to any other publication or website, or permanently archived, without the express written permission of ITV Picture Desk. Full Terms and conditions are available on the website https://www.itv.com/presscentre/itvpictures/terms
Coleen with her Loose Women gals (Credit: ITV1)

Are Shane and Coleen friends now?

Shane and Coleen have put their failed marriage behind them.

He has apologised, saying: “What I did to Coleen was unforgivable and I could never apologise enough.”

Shane also credited Coleen for keeping things amicable between them.

Their divorce was settled out of court and Shane later attended the christening of her third child Ciara.

He has said: “I wish I could take credit for it, but Coleen instigated most of that.

“The only people who lost out were the lawyers. They were gutted.”

How old is Coleen Nolan?

Coleen Patricia Nolan was born on March 12 1965 in Blackpool, Lancashire.

She is currently 56 years old.

shane richie new job
Coleen’s ex-husband Shane Richie recently appeared on I’m a Celebrity (Credit: ITV1)

Piers Morgan’s Life Stories on ITV1: Coleen Nolan

Coleen Nolan gives Piers Morgan a raw and emotional interview, looking back at her life in the spotlight.

She opens up about the cancer “curse” that has devastated her family and reveals she is considering a mastectomy after seeing three of her sisters battle the disease.

She also talks about her two failed marriages and how she’s now dating in her mid-50s.

Coleen reflects on the violence she and her sisters experienced at the hands of their alcoholic father, as well as revealing a near miss with sick paedophile Jimmy Savile.

Piers Morgan’s Life Stories airs on Thursday March 18 2021 at 9pm on ITV1.

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Helen Fear
TV Editor