Coleen Nolan claims she was branded ‘too ugly, fat and old’ for primetime television

Coleen Nolan has claimed she was branded too ‘ugly, fat and old’ for primetime television by cruel network bosses.

The former Nolans star, 56, admitted she’s ‘always been judged as a woman’ throughout her career, and despite a lengthy stint on the Loose Women panel, producers could never see ‘past her size and age.’

It comes after Coleen previously claimed TV executives told her to get a ‘gastric band’ to lose weight after being deemed ‘too big’ to appear on primetime television.

Shocking: Coleen Nolan, 56, has claimed she was branded too ‘ugly, fat and old’ for primetime television by cruel network bosses

Speaking on author Melanie Blake’s YouTube series Girl Talk, Coleen said she’d experienced bosses bluntly stating: ‘You’re so ugly, so fat and so old.’

Coleen said her previous primetime jobs had been well-received, but claimed ‘they [bosses] still can’t see past the age and whatever size I am at the time.’

Insisting her comments were not aimed at Loose Women bosses, Coleen added: ‘I think that’s the tragedy really, I am very lucky that Loose Women, whether you’re a fan or not, it’s the only show on telly that has women of all ages, all sizes, all colour.’ 

‘Outside of that, because sometimes people go ”it’s obviously not sexist because you’re on telly every day” – yeah but from half 12 to half 1.

Difficult: The former Nolans star admitted she's 'always been judged as a woman' throughout her career and producer have 'never seen past her size and age' (pictured in 2008)

Difficult: The former Nolans star admitted she’s ‘always been judged as a woman’ throughout her career and producer have ‘never seen past her size and age’ (pictured in 2008)

‘But name anyone my age in primetime co-hosting a show, you just don’t see it and I think that’s really sad

Coleen first joined the Loose Women panel in 2000 and has been an on-off regular ever since.

The star had previously spoken about TV bosses’ comments regarding her weight, claiming executives even told her she needed to get a gastric band as she was ‘too big’ for primetime television.

In a candid interview, Coleen admitted that things are ‘better than it was years ago’ but pointed out there is still a long way to go. 

While speaking during A Girls Night In, an online event to launch Melanie Blake’s new novel Ruthless Women, Coleen said: ‘I have had a head of a big TV company saying: “If you want to get in prime time television you should get a gastric band, you’re too big to present prime time.”

“I’ve had: “Oh, you’re getting on a bit now, so maybe you’re not right for prime time.” And yet you see all these guys in prime time, some overweight, some certainly in their 60s and 70s.’ 

Bombshell: Speaking on author Melanie Blake's YouTube series Girl Talk , Coleen said she'd experienced bosses bluntly stating: 'You're so ugly, so fat and so old'

Bombshell: Speaking on author Melanie Blake’s YouTube series Girl Talk , Coleen said she’d experienced bosses bluntly stating: ‘You’re so ugly, so fat and so old’

Coleen, who was at a size ten at her lightest, has previously discussed how she was told by TV bosses to have a gastric band.

Speaking in 2011, the star revealed that she was meeting with executives to discuss a new show when one person outlined that her size 14 figure would be a problem. 

In an interview with the Daily Mirror at the time, Coleen explained that the man in question had been staring at her throughout the meeting before dropping the diet bombshell.

She told the paper: ‘He just said: “I wonder what we are going to do about that,” all the while he was looking me up and down, nodding we’d have to do something about my weight. Oh my God I was only a size 14, hardly obese! 

‘Then came the biggest shock. He said: “Well we really like you and we think you’ll be great but we have a particular look in mind for the host… everybody’s going on about these gastric bands at the moment, why don’t you think about that?’

Bombshell: Coleen had previously spoken about bosses' comments regarding her weight (above in 2019)

Explosive: The star, who lost five stone in the 2000s, claimed bosses told her she needed a gastric band

Bombshell: Coleen, who previously lost five stone (right in 2009), had previously spoken about bosses’ comments, claiming they told her she needed to get a gastric band (left in 2019)

Coleen added: ‘I was so angry on the day, but in another way it was good as it was so shocking it gave me confidence to say no to that sort of c***.’

In March last year, the Celebrity Big Brother star said that she was happier at her current weight than when she slimmed down to a tiny size 10.

The presenter, who released a range of fitness DVDs in the 2000s after losing five stone, said it was ‘tough’ keeping the weight off.

She told The Sun: ‘I got down to a size 10 and felt great in that respect and clothes shopping was divine; I could go into any shop and everything would fit, but being thin didn’t make me happy. 

‘I lost a bit of me somewhere – I lost a bit of my personality. I think because part of my personality is always making jokes and putting myself down.’

Coleen admitted that she ‘needs to lose weight now’ but is doing it for health reasons rather than for appearance.

Open: In March last year, the Celebrity Big Brother star said that she was happier at her current weight than when she slimmed down to a tiny size 10

Open: In March last year, the Celebrity Big Brother star said that she was happier at her current weight than when she slimmed down to a tiny size 10