The Loose Women on their 3,000th ep and stealing from set
As they reach their 3,000th episode, Andrea, Jane, Coleen and Nadia reveal all to Jordan Paramor
Welcome to the wonderful world of the Loose Women, where talk, laughter and crisps are free-flowing, and after five minutes in their company, you can imagine exactly the kind of night out you’d have with them (and how long it would take you to recover).
Today, we’re hanging out with Andrea Mclean, 48, who is as cute as a Disney princess, and would be the one to make sure you got home safely. Then there’s Jane Moore, 55, who you would never get bored talking to and would probably still be standing long after everyone else had flaked. Next, we’ve got Coleen Nolan, 53, who’d make you laugh until you cried, and then quietly slope off home to watch the soaps on catch up. And finally, there’s Nadia Sawalha, 53, who would have you doing shots by 7pm and potentially get you into a bit of trouble. We’re in!
Right now, it’s a very busy time for the ladies as they approach their landmark 3,000th episode and settle into their new home at the former BBC Television Centre. So, what better time to pin them down and fire a load of questions at them? How are you liking your new studios? Jane: It’s like getting used to a new husband or something. Nadia: Similar to snogging someone new – always a bit weird. Coleen: It’s as if we’ve all just started secondary school. Andrea: And we don’t know who any of the dinner ladies are. Nadia: We’re having a wrap party soon to say goodbye to the old studios. Andrea: I want to find out if we can nick anything as a souvenir. Jane: Well, we did all steal our dressing gowns from there... Nadia: I still think we’re going to get a knock on the door about that. Coleen: You will now you’ve admitted it in an interview, you idiots [Laughs]. You’re not very good thieves. Nadia: I was talking to Jane on the last day in the old studios, but she wasn’t listening because she was trying to see what she could grab.
Jane: I was trying to work out what was screwed to the wall and what wasn’t. Who will get into the most trouble at the wrap party? All: Nadia. Jane: [To Coleen] You probably won’t even come. Coleen doesn’t like going out at night. Coleen: I’m just not really a drinker or a party animal. Andrea: I don’t go out often, but when I do, I’m like one of those mums who thinks they’re in The Hangover. I’m unleashed. Coleen: I always worry I’m missing Britain’s Got Talent or something else on TV. What’s been the best
LW night out? Jane: They’re mostly belter lunches that carry on until 11pm. There are actually some places we haven’t been able to go back to because of Nadia.
Nadia: We’ve only just been able to go back to a place called Skylark because of my behaviour. What did you do?
Nadia: I was drinking these lethal cocktails called Vespers. I thought I’d gone home at 5pm, but I actually left at 11pm. [To Andrea.] You sent me a photo of myself with my legs open and something on my nunn that looked like a rug, and wrote, “Those bloody Vespers.” I read it and thought I’d been run over by a scooter because I didn’t remember having the cocktails. [Shakes her head.] I will never have another one as long as I live.
How will you be celebrating
Loose Women’s 3,000th episode next week?
Andrea: We’ll probably be looking back through all the best bits. I’ve been on the show for 11 years now, and I’ve had more hairstyles and husbands than anyone else on the panel. Who have been your favourite guests on the show so far? Nadia: I really liked Maggie Oliver, who was the detective on the Rochdale child grooming
scandal. She’d worked closely with Lisa Riley on the show Three
Girls and I’d never met anyone quite like her before.
Jane: I loved Drew Barrymore. Coleen and I also adored The Supervet, Noel Fitzpatrick. I suddenly became aware during the interview that Coleen had gone completely mute.
Coleen: [Smiles] I’m in love with him. I just want to have his puppies.
Jane: He’s single... Get in there! Who have been the trickiest guests?
Jane: We get ones where we do loads of research and then as they’re walking onto set, someone says in your ear, “They don’t want to talk about this.” And you just think, “Why are you here?”
Andrea: And, “What are we going to discuss now?”
Coleen: Some people are only famous for one thing in particular and then they don’t want to talk about that.
Jane: Quite often, it’s the least talented ones. The bigger the ability, the more laid-back they are because they don’t need that validation for themselves.
Nadia: I thought Eva Longoria would be really difficult because she’s a huge star, but she was amazing and really got into it.
Andrea: I told my daughter I was going to be taking Eva home for dinner that night because I was convinced we were going to become best friends. [Pauses.] I didn’t. I love the people who give good gossip, too. Jane Seymour is great for that, and so is Sharon Osbourne. We hear all about who’s had what surgery done.
Come on, share the gossip… Andrea: You know we can’t! Who is top of your dream guest list?
Nadia: We always want Victoria Beckham.
Coleen: I’d like Adele because she’s so down to earth.
Jane: We’d need a four second delay for her swearing, though. I’d like to get Theresa May on.
Coleen: I wouldn’t. Jane: But if a politician goes on Newsnight, they know what they are going to be asked. If they appear on Loose Women, they don’t know what’s coming. They can’t predict us.
Nadia: Nigel Farage always says that. Do you remember the time he came on and the paps photographed him in his car? He had crib sheets about how to speak to women on the back seat. Your 2017 Body Stories campaign, which was shot by Bryan Adams, had a massive impact. How nervewracking was it stripping down to your undies? Nadia: I’m going to be honest – I absolutely hated it.
Jane: We went to the pub halfway through, didn’t we?
Nadia: Yeah, we did because Bryan only had vegan food and water in his house.
Jane: I don’t think he’d ever had “models” popping off to the pub before. Coleen really didn’t want to do the shoot and I felt like if she didn’t join in, it wouldn’t work as she’s such an established Loose Woman. I spent a lot of time persuading her, but she was brilliant on the day.
Coleen: Well, I think once you decide to do it, you’ve just got to go for it. Had it not been for Jane, I wouldn’t have participated.
Nadia: We closed our eyes and
‘I’ve had more hairstyles and husbands than anyone else’
went through the pain of it. Bryan was wonderful, but he works in a very strange way where he doesn’t speak to you while he’s taking the pictures. I was the first one to go into the studio and I stood there in my Primark pants and my M&S bra. I don’t even stand in front of my husband in my underwear and I felt so naked and vulnerable. But I’m so glad I did it because it’s fundamentally changed how I feel about my body. Did you expect the campaign to be such big news? Jane: We had no idea. We thought it would get a bit of attention, but we didn’t know how empowering it would be for everyone. Andrea: I’ve had people stopping me in the street and thanking me. nadia: I’m more proud of that than anything else we’ve done.
Coleen: And it’s up for Editorial Innovation of the Year in The Drum Online Media Awards, which is so incredible. there was also a male version of the campaign, too, with Shayne ward and robbie Savage among other celebs...
nadia: Apparently, they had to ring hundreds of men because they were so much worse than the women about getting their kit off.
Coleen: Stacey Solomon and I interviewed the guys on the day, and the banter was so different to how it was on our shoot. It was much more sarky and jokey. Their insecurity got to me. I felt sorry for them. You never think men are that bothered, but they so are. How do you all feel about surgery/botox/fillers etc? Jane: It’s fine as long as you’re
honest about it. If that’s what you want to do, great, but don’t present the illusion that it’s natural because I think that’s a really dangerous thing for kids. I admire Sharon Osbourne because she always says, “It’s cost me a fortune to look like this.” would any of you have work done?
nadia: Oh, I would. I think about it all the time. If I could afford Sharon Osbourne’s surgeon, I’d be right there.
Andrea: I’ve had Botox a few times to take away that frown thing, so I do dabble.
Coleen: At the moment, I wouldn’t consider it, but I don’t want to say definitely not because who knows in ten years? At the moment, I can’t bear it because everyone looks like a Stepford Wife.
Jane: I can’t tell the difference between some of the young American stars because they’ve
all had their faces contoured and their lips done. They all have the same nose, too.
Coleen: I think it’s a shame. I love people’s faces and I really like all the differences between them, including the wrinkles. I worry that if you start with one thing, you’ll always find something else that needs doing. Your fellow Lw Katie Price has been very honest about all of her surgery, hasn’t she?
Jane: Yes, she’s very open about what she’s had done, but she’s also very truthful when she thinks it hasn’t gone right, either.
nadia: You never have to wonder, “What’s she had done?” because she’ll tell you. We always say to her, “Why are you having any surgery at all?” We think she looks great anyway.