Linda Nolan dies with sisters at her side after long cancer battle

Irish singer and TV personality Linda Nolan, a columnist for the Daily Mirror, has passed away at 65 after a long battle with breast cancer. She spent her final moments surrounded by love, comfort, and her famous sisters by her side.

Her agent, Dermot McNamara, said in her statement: "It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of Linda Nolan, the celebrated Irish pop legend, television personality, Guinness World Record holding West End star, Sunday Times bestselling author and Daily Mirror columnist.

"She passed at around 10:20am The family said the hospital couldn't do enough, they were tireless and made it so much more bearable.

"She passed peacefully, with her loving siblings by her bedside, ensuring she was embraced with love and comfort during her final moments. Linda's legacy extends beyond her incredible achievements in music and entertainment. She was a beacon of hope and resilience, sharing her journey to raise awareness and inspire others. Rest in peace, Linda. You will be deeply missed, but never forgotten."

The family have requested that the hospital's name be withheld, but they have promised to arrange a public memorial for Linda. Linda's passing will undoubtedly devastate her devoted followers, who have been accompanying her on her candid journey with cancer through her weekly column in the Mirror.

Just last week, Linda shared with the Mirror that she was feeling more upbeat after a sickly Christmas period, which she attributed to a "bout of flu". However, merely two days later, on Saturday, she was rushed to the hospital with breathing difficulties.

She was diagnosed with double pneumonia and, due to her secondary breast cancer that had metastasized to her brain, her health rapidly declined. Her sisters—Anne, 74, Denise, 72, Maureen, 69, and Coleen, 59—were summoned to her bedside at 3.30am on Tuesday as doctors decided to transition her into end-of-life care.

They remained with her, keeping vigil during her last moments. Her agent has paid tribute to her illustrious career as a singer, West End star, television personality, charity advocate, author, and as an original member of The Nolans—a group that sold over 30 million records, performed for President Gerald Ford, and toured with Frank Sinatra.

The statement outlined Linda Nolan's glittering career and charitable work, reading: "As a member of The Nolans, one of the most successful girl groups of all time, Linda achieved global success, touring the world and selling over 30 million records, with hits such as Gotta Pull Myself Together, Attention to Me and the iconic disco classic I'm In The Mood for Dancing. Her distinctive voice and magnetic stage presence brought joy to fans around the world, securing her place as an icon of British and Irish entertainment."

"Linda also dedicated her life to helping others, helping raise over £20million for numerous charities, including Breast Cancer Now, Breast Cancer Ireland and Samaritans, amongst countless others. Her selflessness and tireless commitment to making a difference in the lives of others will forever be a cornerstone of her legacy."

The statement continued to detail her personal battles and persistence stating: "Linda was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2005 and was given the all-clear in 2011. But in 2017 - four years after the death of her sister Bernie, aged 52 in 2013 - Linda was told the disease had returned after tumours were found in her hip bone and pelvis. Like Bernie, she was diagnosed with incurable secondary breast cancer but remained determined to make the most of the time she had left."

Using her public platform and infectious sense of humour to support those in similar situations, including her sister Anne who was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer in 2020, Linda faced challenges with determination. Just days after Anne's diagnosis, Linda learned her own cancer had metastasized to her liver.

The sisters underwent chemotherapy sessions together. While Anne eventually went into remission, Linda understood that her condition could only be managed, not completely cured.

In 2023, upon discovering the cancer had progressed to her brain, Linda dedicated herself to advocacy work, notably spearheading a successful initiative to make the drug Enhertu accessible for all secondary breast cancer patients on the NHS. Furthermore, she graced television screens by teaming up with Status Quo's Francis Rossi on 'Celebrity Antiques Road Trip'.

Despite the ongoing battle with memory issues and a severe illness over the festive period, initially suspected to be the flu, Linda remained hopeful in her most recent column published last Thursday. Addressing her readers, she revealed: "The doctors say it's been a bad case of flu. I'd walk a few steps and struggle to catch my breath. My legs were even more wobbly than usual and, although I try not to, I thought of how Bernie was at the end. You think, 'Oh my God, is this it? '".

"It was only on Monday I felt well enough to venture out. It feels like a whole new world out there. There's nothing like the sensation of starting to feel better after an illness. You've forgotten what it feels like to feel normal (well, I say normal? )."

In a statement that now carries extra weight, she added: "I'm no fan of resolutions but here's one: It'll take more than flu to finish me off."

Just before Christmas, Linda had a rollercoaster of emotions and confessed her fears that Christmas 2024 might be her last - leading her to leave her flat in Blackpool to move back with her sister Denise and brother-in-law Tom. Breaking the heavy news to The Mirror last December, Linda kept optimistic: "I try to stay positive," revealing laughter as her shield.

"I'll use jokes and humour as a way to cope, but of course it's scary. And I have my days where I'm terribly down."

The ever-courageous Linda expressed her Christmas desire simply to "keep breathing and see another one", whilst actively maintaining a spirit free from self-sorrow. "We'll eat, drink and sing carols. And I should point out, I won't be cooking. I have cancer, that's my excuse," she quipped.

With characteristic defiance, Linda also shared this: "I thought my 60th birthday would be my last, but I'm still here, five years later. It's easy to sit back and get depressed about it, but I'm still going. My hope for 2025? To not die, obviously. I just want to be here with my family."

In a heartfelt column for the Mirror, Linda opened up about her deep-seated fears surrounding death. Recounting a conversation with a nurse, Linda shared: "She asked me straight if I'm afraid. And I replied that yes, I am afraid of dying. And sad, too. And she said I could call her anytime, that they're there to talk about anything."

However, a dream about her late sister Bernie, who passed away in 2013 from breast cancer at the age of 52, brought her comfort.

"When I was told I had brain cancer and that it was treatable but not curable, I was devastated. But that night I went to bed and dreamed of Bernie all night," Linda recounted. "We were laughing together. I woke up, went downstairs and told my sister Maureen: 'I'm not scared of dying any more. I've just dreamed about Bernie and she's going to be there – that's amazing'."

Linda, facing her illness with courage, took charge of planning her own funeral to ease the burden on those she would leave behind. In 2023, she confided to The Mirror: "I think it's a one-way trip now", and disclosed her choice of funeral directors, her desire for Neil Sedaka's Our Last Song Together to be played, and her wish for a "pink, sparkly coffin".

Linda's sense of humour shone through when discussing her funeral arrangements; in August, her sister Coleen revealed to the Mirror that Linda wanted mourners dressed in black, "weeping and wailing". With a touch of levity, Coleen added: "Linda will probably have a list of people she doesn't want at her funeral - there are a lot of people Linda doesn't like!"

The renowned Nolan sisters have been candid about the heartache cancer has brought to their family, with four out of the six siblings facing a cancer diagnosis or scare at some stage. Anne Nolan was the first to be diagnosed with breast cancer in 2000, and after initially overcoming the disease, she faced it again in April 2020 in her other breast.

Shortly after, Linda received the devastating news that her secondary breast cancer had metastasised to her liver. The sisters chose to face chemotherapy side by side.

"I don't want to die. I love my life so much. I love my daughters, my grandchildren, my friends, all my family. I want to live for as long as I possibly can," Anne expressed to The Sun during that period. She realised she had cancer again when she detected a lump while taking a shower.

Fortunately, Anne went into remission once more and joyfully announced she was cancer-free in December of the same year. Bernie Nolan, the second youngest sister, shared her own battle with breast cancer in April 2010.

By October, she was celebrating being cancer-free after a mastectomy, chemotherapy, and Herceptin treatment. In February 2012, Bernie revealed she had stopped taking cancer medication.

By the end of October 2012, Bernie's cancer had made a devastating return. The doctors informed the singer that the disease had spread to her left breast, brain, lungs, liver, and bones.

Tragically, the beloved star passed away at her Surrey home in July of the next year, aged just 52. "Bernie passed away peacefully this morning with all of her family around her," was the statement released at the time.

In a stark contrast, Loose Women star Coleen faced her own battle when she was diagnosed with skin cancer on her finger in 2023. Recounting the moment she received the diagnosis, Coleen shared: "My first instinct, typical me, was to laugh hysterically because I just thought that's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard anybody say. I'm sick of cancer. Also, my first instinct was, 'I'm not telling anybody in my family' because this... seems nothing compared to what my sisters have been through."