Coleen Nolan reveals terrifying health scare which led to her finally give up 40-year smoking habit: 'I thought I was going to die!'

Coleen Nolan has revealed how a severe chest infection left her fearing she would die before finally deciding to kick her 40-year smoking habit.

The Loose Women star, 58, recalled becoming so unwell she was left ‘gasping for air’ and ‘struggling to breathe.’

Now 12-weeks cigarette free, Coleen told of how she suffered a panic attack as a result of her breathing troubles, when she was unable ‘to walk a few feet’ without having to stop due to feeling ‘constantly winded.’

Despite warnings whilst on the Loose Women set she continued to film and later returned to her hotel with her partner Michael Jones, 60, where things only got worse.

In quotes obtained by The Mirror, she explained: ‘I had a full-scale panic attack and the more stressed I got and the more I cried, the less able I was to breathe.’

Coleen Nolan, 58, has revealed how a severe chest infection left her fearing she would die before finally deciding to kick her 40-year smoking habit

The Loose Women star recalled becoming so unwell she was ‘gasping’ for air and ‘struggling to breathe’ (pictured in 2010)

She added: ‘I genuinely thought ‘I’m going to die in my hotel room, away from home’. It was really frightening. The whole thing lasted two minutes but it felt like an hour.’

After finally deciding to visit her doctor Coleen was warned if she carried on smoking she could suffer further attacks.

The presenter continued: ‘I was going to bed at night, saying to Michael, “I’ve got COPD or lung cancer… what an idiot!” When I went back to get the results and was told my X-ray had come back clear, it was a massive relief.’

Explaining how her chest will ‘never fully recover’, Coleen said the scare felt like her ‘last chance’ to alter her lifestyle in order to ‘still be around for her kids.’

Back in 2020, Coleen admitted she ‘wasn’t yet ready’ to give the habit up in a fiery on-air clash with Loose Women co-host Denise Welch.

Denise had admitting that she wanted the ‘horrible’ habit to be banned outdoors, sparking a heated debate.

At the time, the former actress from Tynemouth, said that after quitting smoking seven-years ago, she could no longer walk past a group of smokers without ‘feeling sick’.

She went on to tell host Coleen, that after ‘saying it for years’ now was the perfect opportunity to quit her vice, insisting that she ‘has to get her head around it and stop’.

Now 12-weeks cigarette free, Coleen told of how she suffered a panic attack as a result of her breathing troubles, when she was unable ‘to walk a few feet’ without having to stop

Explaining how her chest will ‘never fully recover’, Coleen said the scare felt like her ‘last chance’ to alter her lifestyle in order to ‘still be around for her kids’

Back in 2020, Coleen admitted she ‘wasn’t yet ready’ to give the habit up in a firey on-air clash with Loose Women co-host Denise Welch

Coleen replied that she ‘wasn’t ready’ to give the habit up, saying it feels unfair for smoking outdoors to be banned when there’s no such restriction on drinkers.

When asked whether she felt the ban was a good idea, Coleen said: ‘To have taken that away from me [especially] yesterday, as a smoker, that would just finish me off.

‘If you don’t like it move away. And the amount of people when I say “I’m going for a fag” and they say “I’ll come too”…’

However Denise disagreed, insisting: ‘I smoked for years and gave up seven years ago, and now if I just walk past a group of people smoking the smell makes me feel sick.

‘I never thought I would be that way but I am, and it’s like I can’t stand being around drunk people now I don’t drink, and I can’t stand being around the smoke.

‘Selfishly I would love it to be banned outside, if I was still a smoker I’d be furious. But I would love it to be banned,

‘I think it’s horrible and Coleen this is your opportunity now, to stop. You have been saying it for years and you have to get your head around it and you have to stop.’

When quizzed by host Kéllé Bryan on whether walking past smokers makes her fear she’ll fall back into the habit, Denise went on: No, I just feel so much healthier and it’s mainly the smell of it.

‘I understand with the rules more people will be outside and if you have more people outside, it is annoying.’

Coleen went on to say that while she ‘admires’ Denise for giving up, she herself isnt ready to quit smoking.

Denise had admitting that she wanted the ‘horrible’ habit to be banned outdoors, sparking a heated debate – after she quit seven years prior

Denise told Coleen that after ‘saying it for years’ now was the perfect opportunity to quit her vice, insisting that she ‘has to get her head around it and stop’

She said: ‘It is annoying, I admire you, you’ve given it all up and you’ve been amazing and you look fabulous.

‘But here’s my thing, I’m not ready to give up yet to be honest. I don’t drink, it is kind of my only vice and I hate drinkers and when people say “ban smokers”, I want to ban drinks then. I hate being around drunks, that’s why I don’t go sit outside in a pub.’

Viewers clashed over the issue, with some feeling annoyance towards smokers is no different to disliking heavy drinking while others branded smokers ‘utterly disgusting’ and ‘selfish’.

Meanwhile, others lashed out: ‘TOTALLY ban smoking! Don’t project your bad habits on other people and get a healthy life, it KILLS YOU. It is UTTERLY DISGUSTING. Don’t be so selfish.’