Coleen Nolan has said she and estranged husband Ray Fensome are going through an amicable divorce.
The 53-year-old gave an update on her divorce on Monday’s episode of Loose Women, during a panel discussion on whether divorce should carry a health warning.
Coleen and Ray announced their separation in February.
She said: “I think people who say divorce is easy have never been divorced. I don’t think it is easy at all. I think it’s really, really difficult.
Read more: Jason Donovan makes rare public appearance with his children
“And the ones who say you should really try at it… in my case, absolutely we spent the last two or three years trying to work at it, but there has to come a time where you go, it’s not working for either of us and I don’t want to stay with somebody just because divorce is hard.”
Coleen then joked the only thing “annoying” her right now is the couple’s divorce lawyers hoping they’ll argue more to prolong proceedings.
She laughed: “We’re still getting on and we’re good friends. They don’t like it. They want us to row. The more we row, the more time is spent and the more money you get!
“It’s really annoying me and Ray at the moment!”
Coleen said that she and Ray are both happy with their decision to separate and moving forward, but she does understand people who have a fear of divorce because they could be left lonely later in life.
“The thing with divorce is, I think a lot of people, especially if it happens later in life, like in my case, in my 50s, obviously being lonely is a big fear for anyone,” she said.
“I’ve had moments of loneliness and all of that, but I don’t think you should stay with someone out of fear of that, because I think there is no lonelier place than to sit next to someone thinking, we are just lonely together.”
Coleen added she’d had a moment of loneliness over the weekend, but she thought it was perhaps more because her children are all growing up.
She has sons Shane Jr, 29, and Jake, 25, with ex-husband Shane Richie, and daughter Ciara, 16, with Ray.
“It hasn’t been out of the blue what happened between me and Ray,” said Coleen. “It’s been happening over time. He’s really happy now and I’m really happy and I’m enjoying the independence, but I had my first really lonely weekend.
“What happened was Jade had loads of his friends around, Ciara had loads of her friends around. They were all getting ready to go out in their respective bedrooms.
“For the first time, I had this house full of my kids and felt they’re all moving on, they don’t need me, they’re getting ready to go out. I was in the kitchen and thought, ‘I am on my own’.”
Coleen and Ray were together for 18 years and married for the last ten.
She previously said although she was sad about the break up, she was trying to focus on the positives of a happy future.
Don’t miss out: Three steps to ensure you see all ED!’s latest news on Facebook