Coleen Nolan reveals she's divorcing husband of 10 years after 'hellish' 12 months

Loose Women presenter Coleen Nolan has spoken out about her break-up with husband Ray Fensome.

Writing in an open letter in The Mirror, Coleen, 52, details the emotional journey she’d been on both personally and with readers. ‘Dear all,’ she began.

‘For the last eight years I have been honoured to read your letters to this page and try to help readers work out what’s the best thing to do in a time of trouble.

‘Most days there is at least one letter from someone hurt, angry or frightened that their marriage is breaking down.’

She described splitting up with the person you spend your days with as ‘possibly the hardest thing you’ll ever do,’ as she recalls advising many readers to never give up when their marriage hits the rocks.

Yet she concedes that sometimes things cannot be salvaged and it’s best to part ways. ‘A division grows so deeply between a couple that nothing can pull them back together. And then – for everyone’s sake – there is no alternative.’

She goes on to speak about how one must be honest in assessing a marital future, which leads her to revealing her own decision to split with her husband of a decade. ‘You have to face facts and accept the marriage is over. And that, I’m afraid readers, is where I am today.’

The pair married in 2008 and the former singer spoke frankly about how emotionally fragile she is feeling, even as she wrote the letter published on the paper’s website. ‘I’ve got tears pouring down my face as I write this,’ she says.

Furthermore, she says how unhappy she felt and that, if she is to heed her own advice, she must get out of the marriage in order to be happy again.

Believing honesty is the best policy, Coleen is keen to show people that just because a marriage breaks down it doesn’t mean an entire family has to. ‘My beautiful kids, Shane Jnr, Jake and Ciara – my daughter with Ray – have all been unbelievably supportive and understanding,’ she shared.

The star hasn’t hid away from her problems, either, having spoken about her marital woes with co-hosts on Loose Women. and has opened up honestly about her time with Ray: ‘The last 12 months have been pretty hellish.’ Even spending time apart from her other half while in the 2017 Celebrity Big Brother house (and despite winning) wasn’t enough to freshen things up with her other half.

The lengthy, heartfelt letter concluded with: ‘But I deserve to be happy. Everyone does. And once you know your marriage is truly dead you need to make your peace with that, bury the past and move on. After 17 years together that’s what I’m about to do. Wish me luck in my new chapter,’ and signed off with ‘Love, Coleen x’.

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