Coleen Nolan opened up about the sad loss of her sister Bernie on Loose Women today (Thursday April 24).
TV personality Coleen addressed her biggest regret – which came about due to a parenting decision – following Bernie’s passing in July 2013.
The emotional ITV panelist, 60, also noted how the choice she made affected her family’s grieving, admitting she feels “bad” about it.
Coleen Nolan on grieving for sister Bernie
Bernie, who starred in The Bill and Brookside, died from breast cancer nearly 12 years ago.
She was the second youngest of musical sisters Anne, Denise, Maureen, Linda, and Coleen.
Since then, in January of this year, the Nolans suffered another devastating bereavement when they lost Linda, having battled cancer for two decades.
Coleen and Anne have also been diagnosed with cancer previously, with Coleen enduring skin cancer in 2023, and Anne having breast cancer in 2000. The sisters’ brother Brian is also undergoing treatment for prostate cancer.
But Bernie’s death still affects Coleen and her family – and she indicates she still mulls over whether the approach she took at the time was the right one or not.
Coleen on Loose Women today
That’s because Coleen decided her young daughter would not attend Bernie’s funeral.
She explained on Loose Women today: “So Bernie passed away, and Ciara went on a school trip. I think it was her last year or two in primary.
“And it was that moment of: ‘Do we bring her back for the funeral?’. Or do we just let her have her moment as a kid and stay away? She doesn’t need to see us all crying and sad.”
Coleen continued by noting Ciara later revealed she wished she had attended the service.
She went on: “So, we didn’t. Ciara knew that Bernie passed. She stayed on her school holiday. But, to this day – she’s 24 in June now – she always says: ‘I wish you had brought me back.’
Ciara doesn’t feel that she got to grieve properly over her auntie Bernie.
“She doesn’t feel that she got to grieve properly over her auntie Bernie, like she did with Linda recently.”
‘I thought I was doing the right thing’
Coleen added that her sons, Jake and Shane Jr, made their own decisions with regards to going to their grandfather’s funeral when they were younger.
And while the Loose Women panelists were supportive, Coleen reflected: “I feel bad now with Ciara because at the time, I thought I was doing the right thing.”
Read more: Coleen Nolan ‘putting on a brave face’ ahead of first milestone without sister Linda
Loose Women airs on ITV1 and ITVX on weekdays.
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