Coleen Nolan
Encyclopedia
Coleen Patricia Nolan is an English born television presenter, author and singer of Irish descent. She was the youngest member of the girl group
, The Nolans
, in which she sang alongside her sisters. She has since then appeared on various television shows both as a presenter and panellist (most prominently on ITV
's daytime show, Loose Women
) as well as appearing on reality television programmes. In 2009 she toured again with the Nolans.
in 1980 when she was fifteen years old, though her first television appearance with her sisters though was on 5 February 1974 when she was almost nine years old, as The Nolans appeared on the It's Cliff Richard!
television series, and she had appeared with them in the video for their 1979 single, "I'm In The Mood For Dancing", though she was not actually a part of the group at this point and did not actually perform on the song. On 14 January 1987, she appeared alongside her sisters Anne, Bernie and Maureen in the BBC
sitcom Filthy Rich & Catflap
.
In 2000, Nolan became a regular panelist on ITV's daytime series Loose Women
. She remained with the series on and off for eleven years (taking a break to have and care for daughter Ciara). Also in 2000 she played the part of Janelle Cooper in the short comedy film, Rattler. In late 2001 she co-presented This Morning
on ITV1
, alongside John Leslie
, on a rota basis with Twiggy
.
On 4 March 2002 she was a guest contestant on the BBC comedy panel game
show Never Mind the Buzzcocks
. On 25 May she appeared on An Audience with Brian Conley
. Later in 2002 she took part in the first series of the reality television programme Celebrity Fit Club
, which followed overweight celebrities as they tried to lose weight for charity.
On 7 January 2003 she appeared in the documentary We Are Family that chronicled the success stories of various musical acts that were made up of family members. In 2002 and 2003 she was a panelist on the chat show The Wright Stuff
on Five, hosted by Matthew Wright.
On 3 June 2005 Nolan took part in the first series of the ITV
daytime programme, Have I Been Here Before?
presented by Phillip Schofield
, which offered celebrity guests the chance to see if they have lived before, in a past life, through past life regression
. Nolan was said to have been a "nervous 16 year old debutante". In September 2006 Nolan returned to Celebrity Fit Club as part of the judging panel in the fourth series. On 6 October she was a guest on The Sharon Osbourne Show
and ten days later was a guest on the Irish chat show, broadcast and produced by RTÉ, The Podge and Rodge Show
.
In 2007, she featured in television advertisements for the supermarket chain Iceland
, along with her sister Bernie
, and former Loose Women colleague Kerry Katona
. She appeared in further commercials for Iceland during the next couple of years.
In early 2008 she brought out a DVD, A Brand New You, produced with Rosemary Conley
. She made a guest appearance on Al Murray's Happy Hour
on ITV on 19 September, and on 27 September she starred along with her sister Linda, her two sons Shane and Jake and her brother Tommy on the third series of All-Star Family Fortunes competing against Barry McGuigan
and his family. She also made guest appearances on Alan Carr's Celebrity Ding Dong
(31 October) and The Paul O'Grady Show
(18 December), both on Channel 4
. Also in December she released a fitness DVD, Coleen Nolan's Disco Burn.
In 2009, Nolan took part in the fourth series
of Dancing On Ice on ITV1, which began on 11 January. Of her appearance on the show Nolan said, "I've never really skated. When I was 14, I used to go to Disco Beat in Blackpool with my friend. We'd skate round once, hanging on to each other, and spend the rest of the night posing, like 14-year-old girls do. I could only go forwards, I couldn't stop!" She was eliminated in week ten, finishing in fourth place.
In April 2009, she presented the programme, The Truth About... Eternal Youth about plastic surgery on ITV1. In late April, her autobiography, Upfront and Personal was published.
The Nolans reformed in 2009 for a UK tour to mark the 30th anniversary of the release of I’m in the Mood for Dancing.
Nolan has a weekly column in Best magazine and a parenting column in the Daily Mirror.
In 2010, Nolan presented Secret Guide To Women's Health on Sky Real Lives. She also co-hosted, with Ben Shephard
, Dancing On Ice Friday on ITV1.
On 6 September 2010, Nolan returned to the ITV programme This Morning
in a new presenting role, almost a decade since she left the same show, with Phillip Schofield
and Holly Willoughby
. She was also announced as the new face of Park Christmas Savings and appeared in their TV adverts.
On 27 February 2011, Nolan hosted Dancing on Ice
, temporarily replacing Holly Willoughby, who had fallen ill.
On 16 March 2011, Nolan announced she would be leaving Loose Women
after 11 years on the show. She made her last appearance as a panellist on Thursday 28 July 2011.
. She married Shane Richie
in 1990, and they had two sons, Shane Roche Jr (2 December 1988) and Jake Roche (16 September 1992), together before splitting up in 1997 and divorcing in 1999. She gave birth to a daughter, Ciara, on Tuesday 19 June 2001 and became engaged to her longtime boyfriend Ray Fensome (a musician who is from Leeds, West Yorkshire) when he proposed on her 40th birthday in 2005. They married in November 2007.
Nolan has undertaken charity work for the Alzheimer's
Society, including cycling the Nile River in Egypt. Her late mother, Maureen, was a sufferer. In 2006 Nolan opened the first Alzheimer's Society information centre on the Fylde coast
.
Nolan's mother died on 30 December 2007.
In March 2008, Nolan supported a Learn Direct national campaign to improve English and Maths
skills, and in April she helped launch Sentry Parental Controls
, a real-time content-control software
that that logs, notifies and blocks inappropriate internet content that may be unsuitable for children.
In January 2008, Nolan claimed that various slimming techniques had enabled her to drop five dress sizes and five stone in weight to and size 10. Whilst participating on Dancing on Ice
, Nolan had a cancer scare after finding a lump in her breast, but was later given the all-clear.
to Amsterdam
and that she had given her fiancé
Ray Fensome permission to have a one-night stand
during the proposed trip. She was criticised by Shane Richie, who said he was "disgusted and appalled" by her comments about their son, and that he hoped and assumed "it was said in total jest. I can assure everyone that having passed his GCSEs
fingers crossed Shane Jr will not be going to Amsterdam". English doctor and author Miriam Stoppard
said of Nolan's comments, "the world's gone insane" and claimed that Nolan seemed to be shirking her responsibilities to deliver sex education
. However, Nolan defended her comments saying that she had told her son that she would pay for a long weekend for him anywhere in the world and that he had mentioned how he and his mates had "always wanted to go to Amsterdam to see the red light district
. If he planned to go on a trip to Ibiza
everybody would have thought that was fine, even though he would probably have unprotected sex with lots of girls." In the News of the World
newspaper she said, "In an ideal world I'd never condone my son sleeping with hooker
s, but it's a fact of life that boys of his age have casual sex
. So if I'm pushed, I'd rather he does it somewhere well-policed and where the girls have health checks than behind the wall of a club in Ibiza
with absolutely no safeguards." And added about her comments about Fensome, "In all honesty, I couldn't care less [if he does]. What bothers me more is the thought of Ray going into a bar, chatting up a really stunning girl, having sex with her, spending the night and waking up with her the next morning. I couldn't cope with that."
In January 2007, Nolan courted further controversy when, during a debate on Loose Women about gay adoption, she stated her opinion that gay people should not be allowed to adopt children, and said that "there's only so much I want to accept".
Girl group
A girl group is a popular music act featuring several young female singers who generally harmonise together.Girl groups emerged in the late 1950s as groups of young singers teamed up with behind-the-scenes songwriters and music producers to create hit singles, often featuring glossy production...
, The Nolans
The Nolans
The Nolans are an Anglo-Irish all-female band consisting of a group of sisters. The group, best known for their song "I'm In the Mood for Dancing", gained prominence as guest performers on numerous television shows in the United Kingdom...
, in which she sang alongside her sisters. She has since then appeared on various television shows both as a presenter and panellist (most prominently on ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
's daytime show, Loose Women
Loose Women
Loose Women is a British lunchtime television programme, first broadcast in 1999 on ITV. It consists of a panel of four women who interview celebrities and discuss topical issues, ranging from daily politics and current affairs, to celebrity gossip...
) as well as appearing on reality television programmes. In 2009 she toured again with the Nolans.
Career
Nolan joined her sisters in The NolansThe Nolans
The Nolans are an Anglo-Irish all-female band consisting of a group of sisters. The group, best known for their song "I'm In the Mood for Dancing", gained prominence as guest performers on numerous television shows in the United Kingdom...
in 1980 when she was fifteen years old, though her first television appearance with her sisters though was on 5 February 1974 when she was almost nine years old, as The Nolans appeared on the It's Cliff Richard!
Cliff Richard
Sir Cliff Richard, OBE is a British pop singer, musician, performer, actor, and philanthropist who has sold over an estimated 250 million records worldwide....
television series, and she had appeared with them in the video for their 1979 single, "I'm In The Mood For Dancing", though she was not actually a part of the group at this point and did not actually perform on the song. On 14 January 1987, she appeared alongside her sisters Anne, Bernie and Maureen in the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
sitcom Filthy Rich & Catflap
Filthy Rich & Catflap
Filthy Rich & Catflap was a BBC sitcom produced in 1986 and broadcast early the next year.The series featured former The Young Ones stars Nigel Planer, Rik Mayall and Adrian Edmondson as its three title characters respectively...
.
In 2000, Nolan became a regular panelist on ITV's daytime series Loose Women
Loose Women
Loose Women is a British lunchtime television programme, first broadcast in 1999 on ITV. It consists of a panel of four women who interview celebrities and discuss topical issues, ranging from daily politics and current affairs, to celebrity gossip...
. She remained with the series on and off for eleven years (taking a break to have and care for daughter Ciara). Also in 2000 she played the part of Janelle Cooper in the short comedy film, Rattler. In late 2001 she co-presented This Morning
This Morning (TV series)
This Morning is a British daytime television programme broadcast on ITV. As of September 2011, its main presenters are Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby, and Ruth Langsford and Eamonn Holmes, with various other presenters standing in for illness or contributing to sections of the programme.The...
on ITV1
ITV1
ITV1 is a generic brand that is used by twelve franchises of the British ITV Network in the English regions, Wales, southern Scotland , the Isle of Man and the Bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey. The ITV1 brand was introduced by Carlton and Granada in 2001, alongside the regional identities of their...
, alongside John Leslie
John Leslie (television presenter)
John Leslie is a Scottish former television presenter. He has presented BBC One's Blue Peter and ITV's This Morning and the ITV gameshow Wheel of Fortune. He was also the roving reporter for the first series of the UK version of Survivor...
, on a rota basis with Twiggy
Twiggy
Lesley Lawson née Hornby known as Twiggy is an English model, actress, and singer. In the early-1960s she became a prominent British teenage model of swinging sixties London with others such as Penelope Tree....
.
On 4 March 2002 she was a guest contestant on the BBC comedy panel game
Panel game
A panel game or panel show is a radio or television game show in which a panel of celebrities participates. Panelists may compete with each other, such as on The News Quiz; facilitate play by guest contestants, such as on Match Game/Blankety Blank; or do both, such as on Wait Wait.....
show Never Mind the Buzzcocks
Never Mind the Buzzcocks
Never Mind the Buzzcocks is a comedy panel game television show with a pop music theme, currently without a permanent presenter. It stars Phill Jupitus and Noel Fielding as team captains. The show is produced by Talkback Thames for the BBC, and is usually aired on BBC Two...
. On 25 May she appeared on An Audience with Brian Conley
An Audience with...
An Audience with... is a British entertainment television show produced by ITV Studios, in which a host, usually a singer or comedian, performs for an invited audience of celebrity guests, interspersed with questions from the audience, in a light hearted revue/tribute style.The show began as An...
. Later in 2002 she took part in the first series of the reality television programme Celebrity Fit Club
Celebrity Fit Club
Celebrity Fit Club is a reality television series that follows eight overweight celebrities as they try to lose weight for charity. Split into two competing teams of four, each week teams are given different physical challenges, and weighed to see if they reached their target weights...
, which followed overweight celebrities as they tried to lose weight for charity.
On 7 January 2003 she appeared in the documentary We Are Family that chronicled the success stories of various musical acts that were made up of family members. In 2002 and 2003 she was a panelist on the chat show The Wright Stuff
The Wright Stuff
The Wright Stuff is a British television chat show, hosted by Matthew Wright, and currently airing on Channel 5 each weekday morning from 9:15 to 11:10am....
on Five, hosted by Matthew Wright.
On 3 June 2005 Nolan took part in the first series of the ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
daytime programme, Have I Been Here Before?
Have I Been Here Before?
Have I Been Here Before? is an ITV daytime programme, presented by Phillip Schofield, made by ITV Productions. The programme offers celebrity guests the chance to see if they have lived before, in a past life...
presented by Phillip Schofield
Phillip Schofield
Phillip Bryan Schofield is an English broadcaster and television personality best known for presenting shows such as This Morning, Dancing on Ice, and various game shows including The Cube.-Early life and career:...
, which offered celebrity guests the chance to see if they have lived before, in a past life, through past life regression
Past life regression
Past life regression is a technique that uses hypnosis to recover what practitioners believe are memories of past lives or incarnations, though others regard them as fantasies or delusions. Past life regression is typically undertaken either in pursuit of a spiritual experience, or in a...
. Nolan was said to have been a "nervous 16 year old debutante". In September 2006 Nolan returned to Celebrity Fit Club as part of the judging panel in the fourth series. On 6 October she was a guest on The Sharon Osbourne Show
The Sharon Osbourne Show
The Sharon Osbourne Show refers to either of two TV chat shows hosted by Sharon Osbourne – the original US version, or the more recent UK version. These are described separately below.-US version :...
and ten days later was a guest on the Irish chat show, broadcast and produced by RTÉ, The Podge and Rodge Show
The Podge and Rodge Show
The Podge and Rodge Show is an Irish chat show, broadcast and produced by RTÉ, featuring the popular Podge and Rodge as hosts...
.
In 2007, she featured in television advertisements for the supermarket chain Iceland
Iceland (supermarket)
Iceland is a supermarket chain in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Iceland's primary product lines include frozen foods, such as frozen prepared meals and frozen vegetables - hence the name of the company...
, along with her sister Bernie
Bernadette Nolan
Bernadette Therese "Bernie" Nolan is an Irish actress, singer and television personality, formerly lead vocalist of The Nolans. Her siblings are Anne, Brian, Denise, Maureen, Tommy, Linda and Coleen Nolan. She is the second youngest...
, and former Loose Women colleague Kerry Katona
Kerry Katona
Kerry Jayne Elizabeth Katona is an English media personality and singer best known for her television work, predominantly in light entertainment and reality shows. She has also been a pop singer with girl group Atomic Kitten, a magazine columnist, an actress, and the author of ghostwritten books...
. She appeared in further commercials for Iceland during the next couple of years.
In early 2008 she brought out a DVD, A Brand New You, produced with Rosemary Conley
Rosemary Conley
Rosemary Conley, CBE is an English businesswoman, author and broadcaster on exercise and health. She is the founder and president of Rosemary Conley Diet And Fitness Clubs, a franchise-based organisation that is, alongside Slimming World and Weight Watchers, one of the "big three" weight loss...
. She made a guest appearance on Al Murray's Happy Hour
Al Murray's Happy Hour
Al Murray's Happy Hour was a chat show presented by comedian Al Murray and produced by Avalon TV. The first series aired in early 2007. It is broadcast on the British terrestrial TV network, ITV, and the first series was broadcast on Saturday nights at 10pm. The second series aired on Fridays at 10pm...
on ITV on 19 September, and on 27 September she starred along with her sister Linda, her two sons Shane and Jake and her brother Tommy on the third series of All-Star Family Fortunes competing against Barry McGuigan
Barry McGuigan
Finbarr Patrick McGuigan MBE , known as Barry McGuigan and nicknamed The Clones Cyclone, is a former Irish and British professional boxer who became a world featherweight champion.-Background:...
and his family. She also made guest appearances on Alan Carr's Celebrity Ding Dong
Alan Carr's Celebrity Ding Dong
Alan Carr's Celebrity Ding Dong was an entertainment show on Channel 4, presented by Alan Carr. During the first series, voice-over commentary in between rounds on the scores is provided by Leslie Phillips...
(31 October) and The Paul O'Grady Show
The Paul O'Grady Show
The Paul O'Grady Show was a BAFTA award-winning British comedy chat show hosted by Birkenhead-born comedian Paul O'Grady. The format was originally devised by Granada Television and was broadcast on ITV before moving to Channel 4...
(18 December), both on Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
. Also in December she released a fitness DVD, Coleen Nolan's Disco Burn.
In 2009, Nolan took part in the fourth series
Dancing on Ice (Series 4)
The fourth series of Dancing on Ice began on ITV on Sunday 11 January 2009. The series features legendary skaters Christopher Dean and Jayne Torvill, presenters Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby, and judges Karen Barber, Nicky Slater, Jason Gardiner, Ruthie Henshall and Robin Cousins.The...
of Dancing On Ice on ITV1, which began on 11 January. Of her appearance on the show Nolan said, "I've never really skated. When I was 14, I used to go to Disco Beat in Blackpool with my friend. We'd skate round once, hanging on to each other, and spend the rest of the night posing, like 14-year-old girls do. I could only go forwards, I couldn't stop!" She was eliminated in week ten, finishing in fourth place.
In April 2009, she presented the programme, The Truth About... Eternal Youth about plastic surgery on ITV1. In late April, her autobiography, Upfront and Personal was published.
The Nolans reformed in 2009 for a UK tour to mark the 30th anniversary of the release of I’m in the Mood for Dancing.
Nolan has a weekly column in Best magazine and a parenting column in the Daily Mirror.
In 2010, Nolan presented Secret Guide To Women's Health on Sky Real Lives. She also co-hosted, with Ben Shephard
Ben Shephard
Benjamin Peter "Ben" Shephard, also known as "Sheps" is an English television presenter who currently works for Sky Sports, as well as ITV.-Personal life:...
, Dancing On Ice Friday on ITV1.
On 6 September 2010, Nolan returned to the ITV programme This Morning
This Morning (TV series)
This Morning is a British daytime television programme broadcast on ITV. As of September 2011, its main presenters are Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby, and Ruth Langsford and Eamonn Holmes, with various other presenters standing in for illness or contributing to sections of the programme.The...
in a new presenting role, almost a decade since she left the same show, with Phillip Schofield
Phillip Schofield
Phillip Bryan Schofield is an English broadcaster and television personality best known for presenting shows such as This Morning, Dancing on Ice, and various game shows including The Cube.-Early life and career:...
and Holly Willoughby
Holly Willoughby
Holly Marie Willoughby is an English television presenter and model, known for her work in presenting children's TV and entertainment shows. In her early career she modelled underwear and went on to present CD:UK...
. She was also announced as the new face of Park Christmas Savings and appeared in their TV adverts.
On 27 February 2011, Nolan hosted Dancing on Ice
Dancing on Ice (series 6)
The sixth series of Dancing on Ice started on 9 January 2011 and ended on 27 March 2011 on ITV. Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby return as hosts whilst Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean return to mentor the celebrities...
, temporarily replacing Holly Willoughby, who had fallen ill.
On 16 March 2011, Nolan announced she would be leaving Loose Women
Loose Women
Loose Women is a British lunchtime television programme, first broadcast in 1999 on ITV. It consists of a panel of four women who interview celebrities and discuss topical issues, ranging from daily politics and current affairs, to celebrity gossip...
after 11 years on the show. She made her last appearance as a panellist on Thursday 28 July 2011.
Personal life
Nolan was born and brought up in BlackpoolBlackpool
Blackpool is a borough, seaside town, and unitary authority area of Lancashire, in North West England. It is situated along England's west coast by the Irish Sea, between the Ribble and Wyre estuaries, northwest of Preston, north of Liverpool, and northwest of Manchester...
. She married Shane Richie
Shane Richie
Shane Richie is an English actor, comedian, singer and media personality, known for his portrayal of the character Alfie Moon in the BBC One soap opera EastEnders.-Early life and career beginnings:...
in 1990, and they had two sons, Shane Roche Jr (2 December 1988) and Jake Roche (16 September 1992), together before splitting up in 1997 and divorcing in 1999. She gave birth to a daughter, Ciara, on Tuesday 19 June 2001 and became engaged to her longtime boyfriend Ray Fensome (a musician who is from Leeds, West Yorkshire) when he proposed on her 40th birthday in 2005. They married in November 2007.
Nolan has undertaken charity work for the Alzheimer's
Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease also known in medical literature as Alzheimer disease is the most common form of dementia. There is no cure for the disease, which worsens as it progresses, and eventually leads to death...
Society, including cycling the Nile River in Egypt. Her late mother, Maureen, was a sufferer. In 2006 Nolan opened the first Alzheimer's Society information centre on the Fylde coast
The Fylde
The Fylde ; Scandinavian: "field") is a coastal plain in western Lancashire, England. It is roughly a 13-mile square-shaped peninsula, bounded by Morecambe Bay to the north, the Ribble estuary to the south, the Irish Sea to the west, and the Bowland hills to the east...
.
Nolan's mother died on 30 December 2007.
In March 2008, Nolan supported a Learn Direct national campaign to improve English and Maths
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
skills, and in April she helped launch Sentry Parental Controls
Sentry Parental Controls
Sentry Parental Controls is a group of content-control software that logs, notifies and blocks Internet content that may be unsuitable for children. The software is owned by SearchHelp Inc. . The company conducts survey research of parental concerns over Internet use. In 2008 its software packages...
, a real-time content-control software
Content-control software
Content-control software, also known as censorware or web filtering software, is a term for software designed and optimized for controlling what content is permitted to a reader, especially when it is used to restrict material delivered over the Web...
that that logs, notifies and blocks inappropriate internet content that may be unsuitable for children.
In January 2008, Nolan claimed that various slimming techniques had enabled her to drop five dress sizes and five stone in weight to and size 10. Whilst participating on Dancing on Ice
Dancing on Ice (Series 4)
The fourth series of Dancing on Ice began on ITV on Sunday 11 January 2009. The series features legendary skaters Christopher Dean and Jayne Torvill, presenters Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby, and judges Karen Barber, Nicky Slater, Jason Gardiner, Ruthie Henshall and Robin Cousins.The...
, Nolan had a cancer scare after finding a lump in her breast, but was later given the all-clear.
Controversies
Nolan has gained media attention at times for controversial statements and opinions. In 2005, on Loose Women she claimed that if her 16 year old son passed his exams then she would pay for him to go on a sex tripSex tourism
Sex tourism is travel to engage in sexual activity with prostitutes.The World Tourism Organization, a specialized agency of the United Nations, defines sex tourism as "trips organized from within the tourism sector, or from outside this sector but using its structures and networks, with the primary...
to Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
and that she had given her fiancé
Engagement
An engagement or betrothal is a promise to marry, and also the period of time between proposal and marriage which may be lengthy or trivial. During this period, a couple is said to be betrothed, affianced, engaged to be married, or simply engaged...
Ray Fensome permission to have a one-night stand
One-night stand
Originally, a one-night stand was a single theatre performance, usually by a guest performer on tour, as opposed to an ongoing engagement. Today, however, the term is more commonly defined as a single sexual encounter, in which neither participant has any intention or expectation of a relationship...
during the proposed trip. She was criticised by Shane Richie, who said he was "disgusted and appalled" by her comments about their son, and that he hoped and assumed "it was said in total jest. I can assure everyone that having passed his GCSEs
General Certificate of Secondary Education
The General Certificate of Secondary Education is an academic qualification awarded in a specified subject, generally taken in a number of subjects by students aged 14–16 in secondary education in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and is equivalent to a Level 2 and Level 1 in Key Skills...
fingers crossed Shane Jr will not be going to Amsterdam". English doctor and author Miriam Stoppard
Miriam Stoppard
Miriam Stoppard OBE , is a British doctor, author, television presenter and agony aunt.- Early life and medical career :...
said of Nolan's comments, "the world's gone insane" and claimed that Nolan seemed to be shirking her responsibilities to deliver sex education
Sex education
Sex education refers to formal programs of instruction on a wide range of issues relating to human sexuality, including human sexual anatomy, sexual reproduction, sexual intercourse, reproductive health, emotional relations, reproductive rights and responsibilities, abstinence, contraception, and...
. However, Nolan defended her comments saying that she had told her son that she would pay for a long weekend for him anywhere in the world and that he had mentioned how he and his mates had "always wanted to go to Amsterdam to see the red light district
De Wallen
De Wallen is the largest and best-known red-light district in Amsterdam and a major tourist attraction. It is located in the heart of the oldest part of Amsterdam, covering several blocks south of the church Oude Kerk and crossed by several canals....
. If he planned to go on a trip to Ibiza
Ibiza
Ibiza or Eivissa is a Spanish island in the Mediterranean Sea 79 km off the coast of the city of Valencia in Spain. It is the third largest of the Balearic Islands, an autonomous community of Spain. With Formentera, it is one of the two Pine Islands or Pityuses. Its largest cities are Ibiza...
everybody would have thought that was fine, even though he would probably have unprotected sex with lots of girls." In the News of the World
News of the World
The News of the World was a national red top newspaper published in the United Kingdom from 1843 to 2011. It was at one time the biggest selling English language newspaper in the world, and at closure still had one of the highest English language circulations...
newspaper she said, "In an ideal world I'd never condone my son sleeping with hooker
Prostitution
Prostitution is the act or practice of providing sexual services to another person in return for payment. The person who receives payment for sexual services is called a prostitute and the person who receives such services is known by a multitude of terms, including a "john". Prostitution is one of...
s, but it's a fact of life that boys of his age have casual sex
Casual sex
Casual sex or hooking up refers to certain types of human sexual activity outside the context of a romantic relationship. The term is not always used consistently: some use it to refer to any extramarital sex, some use it to refer to sex in a casual relationship, whereas others reserve its use for...
. So if I'm pushed, I'd rather he does it somewhere well-policed and where the girls have health checks than behind the wall of a club in Ibiza
Ibiza
Ibiza or Eivissa is a Spanish island in the Mediterranean Sea 79 km off the coast of the city of Valencia in Spain. It is the third largest of the Balearic Islands, an autonomous community of Spain. With Formentera, it is one of the two Pine Islands or Pityuses. Its largest cities are Ibiza...
with absolutely no safeguards." And added about her comments about Fensome, "In all honesty, I couldn't care less [if he does]. What bothers me more is the thought of Ray going into a bar, chatting up a really stunning girl, having sex with her, spending the night and waking up with her the next morning. I couldn't cope with that."
In January 2007, Nolan courted further controversy when, during a debate on Loose Women about gay adoption, she stated her opinion that gay people should not be allowed to adopt children, and said that "there's only so much I want to accept".