Coleen Nolan has opened up about the abortion she had at the age of 16.
The ‘Loose Women’ panellist gave an honest account of how she decided to terminate her pregnancy, as she spoke about it for the first time on TV.
Speaking on Monday’s (6 March) edition of the ITV daytime show, the ‘Celebrity Big Brother’ winner said she felt like abortion was the only option when she fell pregnant at the height of her pop fame as part of The Nolans.
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Coleen Nolan spoke of her abortion she had at the age of 16
ITV
”I had just turned 16 when I found out I was pregnant. And I had just joined my sisters and with my parents being Irish Catholic I had never had a conversation with my mum or dad about sex, or boyfriends or anything,” Coleen explained.
“I was six weeks pregnant and I did go ahead and have a termination. And I didn’t tell a single soul. Apart from who would have been the father of the child, who was fantastic and stayed with me through the whole thing.”
Coleen, who first spoke about her abortion in 2009 autobiography ‘Up Close and Personal’, went on to say she never told her parents, explaining how she thought it was “unnecessary”, and they have now both passed away.
She since went on to have two sons with then-husband Shane Richie, and also have a teenage daughter with current partner Ray Fensome.
Her co-star Stacey Solomon also discussed the decision she faced when she fell pregnant with her first son Zachary over 10 years ago.
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Stacey Solomon is mother to two young boys
ITV
“When I found out I was pregnant, I was 17 and so was like, ‘I can’t do it now, I’m too young, I must have the procedure’,” she said.
“My mum went with me, there were quite a few steps before the actual procedure, a consultation, you speak to a therapist, and a scan.
“That’s where it became a bit too real for me. I could see my mum in tears and the reality hit me.”
Long before she was answering to Lord Sugar, The Apprentice star Karren was letting loose on the ITV daytime show.
She was one of the original line-up of ladies, appearing on the first episode in 1999.
And while her stint was short-lived, ending just a year later, Karren returned to the panel for an anniversary special in 2017, along with the rest of the women who appeared on that very first show. (credit:REX)
Kerry Katona(02 of12)
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Back when she was Kerry McFadden (those were the days, eh?), the Atomic Kitten singer appeared as a panelist between 2003 and 2004.
She was only 23 when she joined the show, making her the youngest Loose Woman regular ever, and her sometimes naive outlook on life meant she often clashed with Sherrie Hewson, providing many hilarious moments. (credit:REX)
Nina Wadia(03 of12)
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She's best known for playing the opinionated Zainab Masood in EastEnders, but Nina offered up plenty of opinions of her own when she appeared as a series regular between 2005 and 2006. (credit:REX)
Gillian Taylforth(04 of12)
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Another EastEnder who graced the Loose Women panel was Gillian Taylforth – better known as Walford's Kathy Beale.
The actress enjoyed two stints as a Loose lady, first in 2006 and again in 2008. (credit:REX)
Cilla Black(05 of12)
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While the late Cilla will be remembered for her huge TV hits Blind Date and Surprise Surprise, her last regular TV gig was actually as a Loose Woman.
She appeared first as a guest anchor in 2009 and was invited back as a regular panelist between 2010 and 2011, returning for a final appearance in 2014. (credit:REX)
Sarah Millican(06 of12)
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In our humble opinion, Sarah's tenure as a Loose Woman was simply not long enough.
The comic only appeared as a panelist for less than a year in 2011, before leaving to concentrate on her stand-up career. (credit:REX)
Beverley Callard(07 of12)
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During one of her many breaks from Coronation Street, Beverley (aka Liz McDonald) took up a seat behind the famous desk in 2010. (credit:REX)
Kym Marsh(08 of12)
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While Kym has recently enjoyed a few turns as a guest panellist, many have forgotten her original stint as a regular on the show in 2005, back when she sported an interesting (if that's the right word?) set of hair extensions. (credit:REX)
Claire Sweeney(09 of12)
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The former Brookside actress enjoyed over two years on the panel back in 2003, and later returned for six episodes in 2010, and a further two in 2012. (credit:REX)
Sheree Murphy(10 of12)
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Sheree was a welcome addition to the panel in 2006, after she finished playing Emmerdale's much-loved Tricia Dingle. While she left in 2007, she later returned as a guest panellist for an episode in 2015. (credit:REX)
Claire Richards(11 of12)
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After the departure of many of Loose Women's biggest names in 2013 and 2014, Steps singer Claire made a string of guest appearances. She impressed bosses so much, she was soon promoted to a regular.
However, a massive revamp of the show in the September of 2014 saw her leave the show with no explanation. (credit:REX)
Jenny Powell(12 of12)
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The Wheel Of Fortune assistant was finally given a break from turning around letters on a board in 2004, when she joined the Loose Women panel for a year. (credit:ITV)