To the outside world, Bradley Walsh and the late Bernie Nolan appeared to be the perfect couple. Their three-year romance was filled with laughter, affection and talk of a shared future. But behind the smiles and public appearances, cracks were already forming — and the truth would eventually end in heartbreak neither of them saw coming.
Years later, Bernie would sum it up in one devastating line: she tried to trust him, but was left feeling deeply hurt and disappointed.
A chance meeting that changed everything
Their love story began in 1989, when Bernie’s younger sister Coleen Nolan introduced her to Bradley after one of his shows. At the time, Coleen was dating Shane Richie and thought her sister should meet the rising comedian.
“They took me to see him perform,” Bernie recalled in a 2011 interview.
“Afterwards, we chatted for the first time. It was a bit awkward because I already knew he fancied me — but in a sweet way. From that evening, we were together.”
When the fairytale began to crack
But behind closed doors, the dream was already starting to unravel.
“What could I do?” she said at the time.
“I loved him too. So we got back together.”
Yet history soon repeated itself.
A friend later spotted Bradley out to dinner with another woman — and this time, for Bernie, it was impossible to ignore. She had been dreaming of wedding dresses with her mother, imagining a life together. In an instant, that future vanished.
“Each time I tried to trust again,” Bernie admitted,
“I ended up feeling deeply hurt and disappointed.”
The phone call that ended it all
Bernie was due to visit Bradley that weekend. Instead, she picked up the phone and ended the relationship for good.
Years later, she reflected on the split with mixed emotions.
“When I think about it now,” she said,
“I feel like I had a lucky escape.”
“I didn’t want to be your mate.
I wanted to be your wife.”
Life after heartbreak
After the split, Bernie eventually found happiness again with drummer Steve Doneathy. The couple married and shared many happy years together before Bernie tragically lost her battle with cancer in 2013.
Bradley moved on too, marrying Donna Derby in 1997. The couple have now been together for nearly three decades and share a son, Barney, while Bradley also has a daughter, Hayley, from a previous relationship.
The The Chase star has often praised Donna publicly, once saying he “wouldn’t swap my missus for the world”, describing her as not only beautiful, but an incredible wife and mother. He has even credited her with encouraging him to take on his breakthrough role in Coronation Street — a decision that changed his career forever.
A love story that still lingers
For fans, the romance between Bradley Walsh and Bernie Nolan remains one of the most talked-about celebrity love stories of the late 1980s and early 1990s — a tale of passion, disappointment, lost trust and resilience.
And although Bernie is no longer here, her words continue to echo — not with bitterness, but with the quiet honesty of someone who loved deeply, hoped bravely, and learned the hardest lesson of all.
A love that might have been… but never truly was.