For years, Coleen Nolan was Britain’s reassuring TV mum — laughing through Loose Women, cracking jokes on red carpets, holding everyone else together.
But behind the scenes, she was falling apart.
Appearing on Good Morning Britain, the 60-year-old finally opened up about the darkest chapter of her life: watching her son Shane Jnr spiral into addiction while she cried in silence, powerless to save him.
“It was years of me crying,” Coleen admitted. “I’m his mum — and I couldn’t do anything.”
She revealed that when Shane hit rock bottom, people around her urged her to make the unthinkable choice.
“They said, ‘You’re going to have to kick him out of the family home.’ But how do you turn your back on your own child?”
The Moment Everything Changed
Coleen described how she kept making excuses — telling herself he was just tired, just stressed, just going through a phase.
Until one terrifying morning.
Shane collapsed and split his head open, needing multiple stitches. That was the moment the denial shattered.
“I remember saying, ‘If this doesn’t wake him up, he’s going to die.’ That was my breaking point.”
For the first time, Coleen was forced to accept the brutal truth: love alone could not save him.
“I Felt Like A Terrible Mother”
On the ITV sofa, her voice cracked as she described the guilt that followed her everywhere.
“I thought it was my fault. I thought I’d failed him,” she said. “But the truth is, addiction isn’t something a parent can fix. The only person who could save Shane was Shane.”
Earlier this year, Shane made the courageous decision to speak publicly about his battle — something Coleen says she never pushed him to do.
“He did it because he wanted to help others,” she explained. “And after he shared his story, he told me, ‘Mum, I feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders.’”
From Chaos To Healing
Shane eventually entered rehab — and slowly, painfully, rebuilt his life. Today, he is a father again, welcoming baby son Cruz-Carter with partner Kimberley Sallis, and rediscovering stability after years of inner chaos.
But even now, Coleen says the fear never truly leaves you.
Just days ago, her five-week-old grandson was rushed to A&E after developing a dangerous fever following a family flu scare — reopening every wound she thought had healed.
“When it’s your children, your grandchildren… suddenly everything becomes very real again,” she said quietly.
A Mother’s Truth
Now, Coleen and Shane are preparing to tour the UK together, sharing their story in their own words — not for headlines, but for families living the same nightmare behind closed doors.
Her message is simple, but hard-won:
“You can love your child with every part of your soul… and still not be able to save them. Sometimes, the bravest thing you can do is stop pretending you have control — and pray they find their way back.”
And this time, thankfully, Shane did.