Coleen Nolan’s marriage breakdown was triggered by her sister’s battle with breast cancer.
The ‘Loose Women’ star is divorcing Ray Fensome – the father of her 16-year-old daughter Ciara – after 10 years of marriage, and admitted she was spurred on the reevaluate her life after her sibling Linda Nolan was diagnosed with an incurable version of the disease, four years after their other sister, Bernie Nolan, died of cancer.
She said: "Can I just say, some of it was, when Bernie passed away and then Linda, all of those things put things into perspective and make you readdress if you’re happy and your life’s happy, but hopefully we can now go forward, both of us, and be positive and be great parents to Keira."
Though the 52-year-old star is devastated by the breakdown of her marriage, she’s planning to embrace the change in direction her life has taken and is looking forward to a "new chapter".
Fighting back tears on UK TV show ‘Loose Women’, she said: "I’m trying to see it now, it is really sad – I don’t want to cry – but it just happens and instead of sitting here, or staying with someone because I’m scared of being on my own – do I want to be on my own at 53? – I’ve turned it around and gone, ‘It’s a new chapter, and that’s exciting in itself.’ "
The Nolan Sisters singer – who also has sons Shane Jr., 29, and Jake, 25, with her ex-husband Shane Richie – insisted she and the 60-year-old musician tried "really, really" hard to save their marriage, but felt it was best to accept they just couldn’t get their relationship back on track.
She said: "It’s been really hard and it’s still really fresh, we’ve only just filed [for divorce], he’s only just moved out.
"I said at the beginning of last year we were having issues but hopefully would sort them and we have really, really tried.
"We were never ones to just go, ‘Oh let’s call it a day, we both tried.’
"It gets to a point where you think, ‘We tried, it’s not working, life has done that and we can’t get back together.’ For the sake of both our future happiness and the kids, especially Ciara, it gets to a point…
"Being an agony aunt as well, I get letters from women in a similar situation and was giving them advice; ‘Sometimes you’ve tried, it’s OK to move on’ and as I was saying it I was thinking,’ I need to start listening to my own advice.’ "
Coleen Nolan speaks out on split
