Coleen Nolan says she was ‘bullied’ into doing Celebrity Bake Off after Channel 4 snubbed her ‘devastated’ sister Linda
COLEEN Nolan said she had to be “bullied” into taking part on The Great Celebrity Bake Off because her cooking is so poor.
The Loose Women star, 58, who bared her boobs in a Real Full Monty live show, agreed to join for Stand Up to Cancer after initial reservations about her culinary skills.
“I literally look at toast and it burns, I don’t know how to do it,” Coleen said.
“I said to my manager ‘You’re going to have to bully me into this’, as my initial reaction was to say no,” Coleen told the Mirror.
The TV favourite will be appearing on the cooking show with presenter Paddy McGuinness, comedian Ellie Taylor and actor Joe Thomas.
Despite her initial fears, Coleen said she was proud of herself for taking part and was surprised at how well she did on one of the challenges, although she described another challenge as an “absolute disaster”.
“I was really proud I’d done it, because it’s one of those ‘feel the fear and do it anyway’,” she continued.
It comes after Coleen’s sister Linda Nolan was left devastated when the makers of Great British Bake Off’s booked her singing sister Coleen instead, despite her own “genuine, lived experience.”
The singer, part of family pop group The Nolans, last week told how her cancer had spread to her brain.
She has become a passionate campaigner after being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2005, which spread to her hip in 2017 and liver in 2020.
Over the years Linda has asked to be considered for all Stand Up 2 Cancer’s charity specials, including Bake Off, through her agent.
But the 64-year-old has been continually ignored by producers.
This year, her younger sister Coleen – a regular on ITV’s Loose Women – was booked instead.
A source close to Linda said: “Linda was so happy that Coleen was asked. She and the other sisters encouraged Coleen to do it, as Coleen was hesitant at first.
“But she did feel upset she wasn’t asked. Of course Coleen is more well known, but Linda’s well known too and actually has cancer.
“Pretty much every time she’s in an interview, she always gets asked about her cancer – even if the interview itself isn’t even about her cancer – and she’s always happy to answer them.
“But when there’s an opportunity to actually raise money and awareness for a cancer charity, they won’t have her.
“But she did feel upset she wasn’t asked. Of course Coleen is more well known, but Linda’s well known too and actually has cancer.
“Pretty much every time she’s in an interview, she always gets asked about her cancer – even if the interview itself isn’t even about her cancer – and she’s always happy to answer them.
“But when there’s an opportunity to actually raise money and awareness for a cancer charity, they won’t have her.
Channel 4’s Bake Off invites a hoard of celebrities into the famous tent for an annual series to raise money for Stand Up 2 Cancer, with the star-spangled version now on its sixth series.
The Great Celebrity Bake Off for SU2C, Sunday, 7.40pm, Channel 4.