The Secret Elopement That Went Wrong: Coleen Nolan’s Four-Hour Pre-Wedding Catastrophe

Weddings are often described as the most magical day of a person’s life, meticulously planned down to the very last detail to ensure absolute perfection. But what happens when you decide to scrap the grand plans, keep the whole thing a secret, and run away to tie the knot? For beloved television personality and Loose Women panellist Coleen Nolan, the decision to elope with her first husband, EastEnders star Shane Richie, led to an unforgettable, and frankly disastrous, eve of her wedding.

Recently, the popular 61-year-old opened up about the hilarious yet chaotic events that unfolded the night before she walked down the aisle back in 1990. Speaking candidly on a wedding-themed episode of The Nolans Uncensored podcast, Coleen shared the unbelievable story with her eldest children, Shane Nolan and Ciara Fensome. The revelation offered a rare and intimate glimpse into a side of celebrity marriages that is rarely discussed—the unglamorous, sometimes lonely, and occasionally downright disastrous moments.

The story begins with a rather unusual decision. Coleen and Shane, who were a high-profile couple at the time, decided to forego the traditional big wedding. Instead, they opted to elope to the sunny climes of Orlando, Florida. Because the wedding was a closely guarded secret, the usual pre-wedding festivities, such as a rowdy hen do surrounded by best friends and bridesmaids, were entirely off the table.

“The first time round, ’cause we eloped, I didn’t have a hen do ’cause obviously no one knew,” Coleen confessed to her children on the podcast. This meant that the night before her big day, instead of celebrating, she found herself completely alone. But the solitude was just the beginning of her problems. What followed was a bizarre beauty blunder that turned into a four-hour ordeal.

Like many brides, Coleen wanted to look her absolute best for her wedding day, which included having perfect nails. However, her attempt at a DIY manicure went horribly wrong. “I spent the night before my wedding on my own. And I was in the bedroom trying to put false nails on and I glued my thumb to my finger for four hours,” she revealed, much to the amusement—and slight horror—of her children.

Imagine the scene: it’s the night before you are due to get married, you are entirely alone in a hotel room in Florida, and your thumb is firmly superglued to your finger. “I couldn’t get it off. It was like super glued,” she elaborated. “And I’m going, ‘I don’t know what to do’. It was literally glued on and I actually had to rip it off.”

The sheer panic of being physically stuck, combined with the isolation of the evening, makes for a story that is equal parts tragic and comical. But why was Coleen alone in the first place? As her daughter Ciara pointed out, it seemed rather “sad” that her mother spent such a significant night by herself.

Coleen was quick to explain that her soon-to-be husband, Shane, had decided to go out for the evening. Her son, Shane Jr., couldn’t resist playfully teasing his mother about the situation, joking that she couldn’t really blame his dad because she was, in his words, “Billy no mates.”

Coleen, known for her quick wit and self-deprecating humour, shot back with a brilliant response: “I was Billy no mates ’cause he wanted to elope!”

This lighthearted exchange between mother and children highlights the enduring bond they share, even when discussing the somewhat chaotic start to a marriage that eventually ended in separation nine years later. Coleen subsequently married Ray Fensome in 2007, a union that lasted a decade before they too parted ways.

But the story of her first wedding goes deeper than just a funny anecdote about superglue. It begs the question: why did Coleen and Shane choose to elope in the first place, especially when they had initially planned a massive, traditional celebration?

The answer to this was revealed during an appearance on Loose Women’s Just Between Us podcast in 2025. Coleen explained that the decision to run away was born out of frustration with how their original plans had been completely hijacked by their families.

“Did I have bridesmaids? No – not with Shane, because we eloped. We didn’t tell anyone,” she stated. She went on to explain the intense pressure they were under: “And the reason we eloped was because we had a big wedding planned, I had my dress and everything, everything was organised and it was huge, but the only people who weren’t asked about any of it were me and Shane.”

It’s a scenario that many couples can likely relate to. The stress of managing family expectations, guest lists, and the sheer scale of a large event can often overshadow the true meaning of the day. For Coleen and Shane, the interference became too much. “My parents took over and his side of the family took over,” she admitted. In a bid to reclaim their special day, they made the bold choice to leave it all behind and do things their way, even if that meant sacrificing the traditional trimmings—and ending up glued together in a hotel room the night before.

This candid admission from Coleen is a refreshing reminder that even the most glamorous celebrities face the same relatable struggles as the rest of us. Whether it’s dealing with overbearing relatives or suffering a catastrophic DIY beauty fail, these moments of vulnerability make stars like Coleen so endearing to the public. Her willingness to share these stories, warts and all, is precisely why she remains a firm favourite on British television.

Amidst these lighthearted recollections, Coleen has also recently been dealing with personal heartache. She recently shared some “very sad” news with her followers, revealing the passing of her beloved horse, Paddy. Sharing a poignant photograph of herself, Ciara, and Paddy, Coleen wrote a touching tribute: “A very sad day for us today as we said goodbye to our lovely Paddy. He meant the world to us and we’ll miss him more than I can put into words.”

Her daughter Ciara also penned a moving message, highlighting the deep connection she had with the animal since she was a child: “I was 10 and he was too. I was scared of him but he carried me through. He taught me the ropes but he pushed his boundaries and I stayed by your side and loved you profoundly.”

From the hilarious mishaps of her past to the touching moments of present sorrow, Coleen Nolan continues to share her life’s journey with an honesty and warmth that resonates deeply with her audience. Her four-hour wedding eve disaster is now a funny memory, a testament to the unpredictable nature of life, love, and the perils of false nails.