Coleen Nolan candidly discussed her past marriages to Ray Fensome and Shane Richie on Wednesday’s Loose Women during a debate about money in relationships.
The presenter, 56, said that she had been on ‘both sides’ as she claimed that her ex Ray ‘struggled’ with her earning more than him whereas she was ‘happy’ for her former spouse Shane, 57, to be the ‘main breadwinner’ in their relationship.
Coleen was married to Shane from 1990–1999, they share two children Shane Jr, 32, and Jake, 28; while she was married to Ray from 2007–2018 and they share daughter Ciara, 20.
Candid: Coleen Nolan candidly discussed her past marriages to Ray Fensome and Shane Richie on Wednesday’s Loose Women during a debate about money in relationships (pictured with ex Ray in 2013)
The singer turned presenter was discussing the topic ‘can a relationship be equal with unequal finances?’ where she discussed her past marriages and admitted: ‘I’ve been on both sides of it!’
Speaking about her marriage to Shane, Coleen said: ‘When I was married to Shane, it came to a point where his career had taken off and I could be the stay-at-home mum and full-time housewife, which was the hardest job I’ve ever done in my life.’
Yet despite the ‘unequal finances’, the presenter admitted that she was happy with the arrangement.
Coleen continued: ‘But I loved every minute of it actually. I never felt that guilty actually, this is fine, and he was really happy with it. Obviously, the boys had me full-time.’
Looking back: The presenter, 56, said that she had been on ‘both sides’ as she claimed that her ex Ray ‘struggled’ with her earning more than him whereas she was ‘happy’ for her former spouse Shane, 57, pictured in 1997, to be the ‘main breadwinner’ in their relationship
Past marriages: Coleen was married to Shane from 1990–1999, they share two children Shane Jr, 32, and Jake, 28; while she was married to Ray from 2007–2018 and they share daughter Ciara, 20
The presenter said that after their split in 1999, she then started to earn her own money which made her the ‘main breadwinner’ in her relationships.
Coleen said: ‘Then obviously when we split up, I became, I had my own career, had my own money. I think when I married Ray… he felt it very much.
‘I think it always got to Ray that I was the main breadwinner, like you say, you do have to be careful with what you say.’
It comes after Coleen admitted to MailOnline earlier this month that her recent short-lived romance ‘got her through’ lockdown, saying it was ‘nice to feel attractive and flirt again’.
Debate: The singer turned presenter was discussing the topic ‘can a relationship be equal with unequal finances?’ where she discussed her past marriages and admitted: ‘I’ve been on both sides of it!’
The Loose Women star recently revealed that her six-month romance with her unnamed lover eight years her junior came to an end after he ‘couldn’t handle’ who she was.
Speaking to MailOnline, Coleen told how she hopes her next guy will be able to ‘handle’ her fame and what she does.
Discussing the recent relationship with the mystery gentleman, 47, Coleen explained: ‘I met a really nice guy online and it was all going really well.
‘We met a couple of times before the lockdown but then spoke constantly for six months, and it was all lovely and then just as the restrictions eased, he couldn’t handle who I was!
She said: ‘I think it always got to Ray that I was the main breadwinner, like you say, you do have to be careful with what you say.’
‘I think to be fair to him, there’s no animosity and I wasn’t heartbroken, we weren’t in a full relationship, it was literally a vocal relationship, that’s all it could be because of lockdown.’
Speaking of how he helped her during the coronavirus pandemic, she said: ‘To be honest, it got me through lockdown really, because it was exciting and nice to feel attractive again and flirting again and all of those things.
‘But it wasn’t love at that point. To be fair to him, he’s just an ordinary guy and quite private, and he’s got kids of his own from his last marriage, I think probably in hindsight he just got cold feet and thought “I don’t know if she can handle what she does”.’
Coleen has had an illustrious career as a singer and TV presenter, finding fame as part of The Nolans, and she regularly features on TV with shows such as Loose Women, The Real Full Monty and At Home With The Nolans.
Love life: It comes after Coleen admitted to MailOnline earlier this month that her recent short-lived romance ‘got her through’ lockdown, saying it was ‘nice to feel attractive and flirt again’
And the star told how whoever she begins a relationship with next must be able to handle her fame as she wouldn’t be able to resist having a gossip about him on screen.
She explained: ‘The thing is, whoever I meet will have to be able to handle it because I can’t keep my gob shut and he will be talked about on Loose Women and any other interview I do!
‘I think it was just that. I think he’s just a private normal guy, in a normal job, quite shy and private.
‘Initially I was a bit angry, only because I thought “you had six months to decide who I am”. We talked about it all the way through with things like that. And he was much calmer about it than I was.
‘So it was just a bit of a shock because I was meant to meet him on a Wednesday and then on Tuesday I got this text saying “look, I can’t handle it” and I thought “gosh!”‘
But while she was disappointed not to have found the one this time around, the former Dancing On Ice star said it hasn’t put her off and she’s already back on the dating apps – though she insisted that she’s ‘happy with herself’ and ‘OK’ on her own.
Fame: The Loose Women star recently revealed that her six-month romance with her unnamed lover eight years her junior came to an end after he ‘couldn’t handle’ who she was