'I'd love to find her': Coleen Nolan reveals her desperation to meet long-lost half-sister... yet admits fears secret sibling could be dead

By Ciara Farmer For Mailonline

Published: 13:00 EST, 13 December 2016 | Updated: 14:02 EST, 13 December 2016

Coleen Nolan has revealed her desperation to find her long-lost, half-sister sister.

The singer-turned-TV presenter, who found fame in 1974 with her band of siblings; The Nolan Sisters, discovered her dad fathered another child following an affair - yet she has never tracked down the woman.

Speaking to Best magazine, she admitted the anguish she feels at the absence of her sister in her life, the 51-year-old Loose Women star revealed her fears that her long-lost relative may have died.

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Saddened: Coleen Nolan has revealed her desperation to find her long-lost, half-sister sister

The Nolan sisters were made up of Maureen, Anne, Bernie, Linda and Denise, among other past members, yet their 'abusive' father Tommy's love child was a secret kept out of the spotlight.

Speaking to the magazine, Coleen revealed that she discovered in her Twenties that Tommy, who she previously described as a 'monster', fathered her half-sister in secret, while still married to her mum Maureen.

The Big Brother star, the youngest of eight siblings, said: 'We think the woman may have given her baby up for adoption. Or perhaps she’s out there, and has no idea about us. Worse, maybe she’s died.

'I just felt so sorry for mum, who stuck with her husband despite his betrayal, and for the half-sister we never knew.'

The girls! The singer-turned-TV presenter, who found fame in 1974 with her band of siblings; The Nolan Sisters, discovered her dad fathered another child following an affair - yet she has never tracked down the woman

Devastated: Speaking to Best magazine, she admitted the anguish she feels at the absence of her sister in her life, the 51-year-old Loose Women star revealed her fears that her long-lost relative may have died

TV great Coleen admits she would be overjoyed to find her sister in time for Christmas as she said: 'I’d love to find her, but I don’t know where to start – it’s so frustrating. If fresh information led met to her, it would be the best Christmas present ever!

'Instead I’m left with so many unanswered questions: “What’s she like? Does she look like us Nolan sisters? Is she happy?" I hope so.' 

In 2009, Coleen was o candid about her family life when she revealed that her childhood was marred by her violent and abusive father, when she admitted she, along with her sisters and mother, was badly beaten on a regular basis from an early age by singer Tommy.

'If he'd been sinking the pints he had the shortest fuse in the world and could become aggressive or violent in the blink of an eye,' she said.

In an extract from her autobiography, serialised by the Mirror, she described how she is haunted by a vivid memory of seeing her older sister Anne beaten by their drunken father.

Upsetting: The Nolan sisters were made up of Maureen, Anne, Bernie, Linda and Denise, among other past members, yet their 'abusive' father Tommy's love child was a secret kept out of the spotlight

'He was brutal, hitting her repeatedly in the face, spitting: "You will cry." But she just sat there saying: "I won't," while he continued to hit her in the mouth.'

The horrifying scenes marred Coleen's childhood, and were followed by the later revelation that Anne had been sexually abused by their father.

Coleen, says she will never forget the violence she received, and witnessed.'To see your mother beaten by your father is something you never forget. It's horrific,' she said.

'When my dad was like that, I hated him, and he scared me. But sadly it became a way of life for us.'

Tough times: In an extract from her autobiography, serialised by the Mirror, she described how she is haunted by a vivid memory of seeing her older sister Anne beaten by their drunken father (centre with mother Maureen)

Coleen couldn't understand why her mother Maureen didn't leave her husband, who died when he was 73.

'I could never fathom how she could always start afresh, treating the morning after the night before as a new day, but she always did.' But she says she also admires her parents for staying together for more than 50 years.

'At times Dad had been a monster,' she said. 'He was a bully and a drunk. I knew he'd made mum's life hell and sexually abused Anne. His behaviour repulsed me. But I also loved him.'

And now the mother-of-two says one good thing has come out of the years of abuse - it has made her a better parent. 'I'm never aggressive and I won't even row in front of children,' she said.  

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