Coleen Nolan has gone Instagram official with her new partner Ryan Brockbank after her stint on Celebs Go Dating prompted her to date younger men.
The 61-year-old Loose Women presenter posted a photograph on Tuesday alongside Brockbank, who is believed to be in his late forties, captioning the post with his initial and a red heart emoji. The couple have been quietly dating for the past few months following Nolan's appearance on the E4 reality television series.
Although Nolan failed to find lasting romance with the suitors paired with her on the program, being matched with younger men shifted her romantic outlook. Producers at Channel 4 had hoped she would become the resident cougar of the series, while insiders noted she hoped to boost her bank balance and find a long-term partner.
In promotional material for the dating agency, Nolan said, "I'm known for being a Loose Woman. So let's see if my dates can handle it." She also declared she was "ready to find the love of [her] life."
East Sussex Getaway
The relationship progressed significantly after the couple spent a week together in East Sussex last month. During the trip in July, they explored the local countryside and visited Brighton for a day out, with Nolan later sharing photographs and a selfie with Brockbank on Instagram.
A source said: "Coleen is really happy. Her and Ryan have a lot of fun together, they make each other laugh a lot. She was introduced to younger guys while taking part in Celebs Go Dating and it really opened her eyes to having a different kind of relationship."
A source added: "Coleen and Ryan had a wonderful time away together. They spent a glorious week exploring the East Sussex countryside and even had a day out in Brighton. Coleen knew after their week together that things were going in the right direction with Ryan. It's all been so easy with him and she couldn't be happier."
YouTube Hints and Career Details
Hints about the relationship first surfaced in mid-July during an episode of Nolan's YouTube show, Nolans Uncensored. Appearing alongside her son Shane Nolan and daughter Ciara Fensome, the family repeatedly referenced a mysterious man named Ryan. After her children broke into Stevie Wonder's For Once In My Life, Nolan chuckled: "I'm going to sing that to Ryan." The couple departed for their East Sussex getaway the following week.
Brockbank works as a lecturer at the Fashion Retail Academy in London, the fashion school attended by Molly-Mae Hague before she shot to fame on Love Island in 2019. Brockbank has also shared photographs of the star on social media.
Weight Loss and Romantic History
Nolan's new romance comes alongside a fresh burst of confidence after working with weight-loss company Voy earlier this year. The presenter lost three-and-a-half stone, dropping from a size 20 to a size 14.
A source added: "Coleen feels sexier than ever since losing the weight, and now she's bagged herself a younger man. She's not stopped smiling. Her kids are all happy for her, as are her friends and family. She's really enjoying herself."
Nolan was previously married to EastEnders actor Shane Richie, 62. The pair split in 1997 after she discovered he had been unfaithful while playing Danny Zuko in Grease in Manchester, while she and her children lived in the south. In her autobiography, Nolan recalled spotting a woman in a skin-tight white dress at an after-show party before discovering she was the woman Richie allegedly had an affair with, writing: "Well, it must have been female intuition."
Nolan and Richie share two sons: Shane Nolan Jr, 37, and former Rixton frontman Jake Roche, 33. Her second marriage, to musician Ray Fensome, ended in divorce after more than a decade together. They share daughter Ciara Fensome, 25. Most recently, Nolan was in a relationship with supermarket logistics manager Michael Jones after meeting on Tinder.
