Coleen Nolan's ex-husband joins Loose Women in new role as she details 'awful split'

Loose Women's Coleen Nolan has revealed that her ex-husband Ray Fensome has joined the ITV show in a new role as the show airs its pre-recorded musical special.

Today's special episode saw Coleen joined by Brenda Edwards, Myleene Klass, Oti Mabuse and Kéllé Bryan as they sang the songs that helped them through tough times. However, at the start of the show, Coleen announced that her ex-husband Ray had joined the show as part of the house band for the episode, teasing him about their "awful marriage".

The panel opened up the show with a powerful rendition of Tina Turner's Simply the Best, with Coleen, Brenda and Kéllé singing while Myleene played piano and Oti danced along. During a break in the song, Coleen said: "Welcome to a very special Loose Women with Simply the Best panel.

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"With World Mental Health Day tomorrow, we reveal how music changed our lives and helped us through our toughest times and we tell our music stories."

After the song, Coleen introduced the show's new house band - including her ex-husband Ray Fensome. "A big welcome to our house band which is headed up by someone I know particularly well. My ex-husband Ray Fensome," she said.

As the camera panned to Ray, Coleen added: "That's the look he always gave me when I was talking." She went on to reveal that the panel would not only be speaking from the heart, "but singing from the heart as well".

Talking about the music that got them through tough times, Coleen said: "I would like to give a big shout-out to Adele, who helped me get over my really awful split from Ray." The audience burst out into laughter as Ray awkwardly laughed along, with Coleen added: "I've been waiting for this my whole life."

Coleen married guitarist Ray Fensome in 2007 after meeting in 2000. They welcomed their daughter Ciara in June 2001, with Ray proposing to Coleen on her 40th birthday four years later.

The Loose Women star had opened up about their marital problems while on Celebrity Big Brother in 2017, revealing that she wanted to see if they could salvage their relationship. However, in February 2018, she announced that their marriage was officially over.

Despite the split, the ex-couple have remained friends. Coleen also has sons Jake and Shane Jr from her marriage to EastEnders' Shane Richie, which lasted from 1990 until 1999.

Loose Women airs weekdays from 12:30pm on ITV1 and ITVX.

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