Loose Women star Coleen Nolan has admitted that following the breakdown of her marriage, she filled the void by adopting several animals.
During Thursday's instalment of Loose Women, the panelist, 57, opened up about her marriage breakdown with Ray Fensome who she was married to from 2007 to 2018.
Following their split, and as Coleen's children moved out of home, she compensated by adding more and more animals to her family home, including goats, pigs, cats, and dogs.
Coleen discussed her love of animals and how it has helped her to feel less alone during some of the darkest times of her life as the Loose Women panel discussed all the things they would change about one another in the New Year.
"I've got five dogs, three cats, three pygmy goats, and a pony. It does take up a lot of my time, and I think what happened was that when I got rid of the second husband - not got rid, he's not buried under the patio or anything," Coleen joked.
"But when we split up, and my kids were leaving home, I think I replaced them with animals - and let me tell you, the goats are much easier than the kids and any husband ever were," she jokingly added.
On February 6, 2018 Coleen Nolan announced she was divorcing her husband Ray.
The Loose Women star confirmed that her marriage of ten years was over after deciding to end the relationship after 'fighting with every fibre of her being' to make it work.
At the time, she wrote in her Mirror column: "Me and my husband Ray are divorcing.
"There is too much dividing me and Ray. We can’t go back. And my future is going to be very different to the one I’d imagined back then."
Coleen has spoken openly about the problems she suffered in the marriage, and how she finally decided to call time in an attempt to be happy again.
"I deserve to be happy. Everyone does. And once you know your marriage is truly dead you need to make your peace with that, bury the past and move on. After 17 years together that’s what I’m about to do," she wrote in a later column.
Coleen and Ray got engaged on her 40th birthday in 2005 after several years of dating and they went on to marry in late 2007.
The former couple share a daughter, Ciara, who was born in 2001.
Coleen was previously married to EastEnders star Shane Richie after the pair tied the knot in 1990.
During their marriage, they welcomed two sons, Shane Nolan and Jake Roche.
The TV stars ended their marriage in 1999 over claims Shane had cheated on Coleen.
