Irish singer Linda Nolan dies with famous sisters holding her hand until very end

Beloved Irish pop icon and TV star Linda Nolan has passed away at 65 after a brave battle with secondary breast cancer. The Dublin born Daily Mirror columnist died today, her famous sisters by her side, just days following her last moving column for the paper.

Her final moments were filled with "love and comfort." In a heartfelt statement given to the Mirror, her agent Dermot McNamara said: "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 at Blackpool Victoria Hospital on the MCEW Ward. The family said the hospital couldn't do enough, they were tireless and made it so much more bearable."

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The statement added: "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 goes beyond her amazing achievements in music and entertainment. She was a symbol of hope and courage, openly sharing her story to raise awareness and inspire others. Rest in peace, Linda. You will be sorely missed, but your memory will live on forever," reports the Mirror.

The family have requested that the hospital's name be withheld, but they've promised to arrange a public memorial for the dearly loved celebrity. Linda's passing will undoubtedly stun her devoted followers who have been tracking her candid and forthright account of her cancer battle in her weekly Mirror column.

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

Doctors identified double pneumonia, and given her secondary breast cancer had metastasized to her brain, her condition regrettably worsened. 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 stood watch during her last moments. Her agent has paid tribute to her legacy as a singer, West End star, television personality, charity advocate, writer, and 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 read: "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."

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.

Linda Nolan, in the limelight and fighting her own battle with cancer, chose to use her status and wit to support others facing similar trials, including her sister Anne, who faced stage three breast cancer in 2020 - an alarm she got mere days after Linda learnt her own cancer had spread to her liver. Side by side, the siblings braved chemotherapy; Anne's illness went into remission while Linda learned her affliction could only be managed, not healed.

In 2023, a new blow came as Linda found the cancer had invaded her brain, yet she dived headfirst into charitable efforts and fronted a successful drive for the miraculous Enhertu drug to be accessible for NHS patients with secondary breast cancer. Her spirited soul shone through as she journeyed alongside Status Quo legend Francis Rossi on 'Celebrity Antiques Road Trip'.

Battling memory issues and struck by a severe bout of what seemed like influenza over Christmas, Linda remained upbeat in her last column last Thursday, sharing with her fans: "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? '".

Linda had recently begun to feel a sense of normalcy after a lengthy battle with illness, as she wrote: "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."

In a poignant reflection, she declared, "I'm no fan of resolutions but here's one: It'll take more than flu to finish me off."

During the holiday season, Linda faced a mix of highs and lows, confessing her fear that Christmas 2024 might be her last. In response, she made the decision to relocate from her home in Blackpool to live with her sister Denise and her husband Tom.

Despite her efforts to maintain a positive outlook, Linda acknowledged the inevitable fear that accompanied her situation. "I try to stay positive," she shared with The Mirror in December.

"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."

Linda's Christmas wish was straightforward: to "keep breathing and see another one". Yet, she refused to indulge in self-pity.

Instead, she focused on the festive spirit, saying, "We'll eat, drink and sing carols. And I should point out, I won't be cooking. I have cancer, that's my excuse."

With characteristic defiance, she added, "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 an incredibly open-hearted column for the Mirror, Linda laid bare her deepest fears about dying. Recalling a poignant discussion with a nurse, Linda confided: "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, after a reassuring dream featuring her sister Bernie, who passed away in 2013 from breast cancer at the age of 52, Linda's apprehension seemed to fade away.

Linda shared her feeling saying, "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," before revealing, "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'."

With commendable courage, Linda even took charge of planning her own funeral to make things "easier for people left behind", deciding everything right down to her pink, sparkly coffin and the heart-wrenching Neil Sedaka track, 'Our Last Song Together', as revealed in a chat with The Mirror in 2023. She quipped about the journey saying, "I think it's a one-way trip now" and also disclosed her choice of funeral directors.

In another candid reveal in August, Coleen, Linda's sister, told the Mirror that Linda requested a solemn dress code of black for her funeral, desiring "weeping and wailing" attendees, and half-joked that there might be a "no-fly list" for the event, hinting at Linda's knack for holding grudges, as she remarked: "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 Nolan sisters, a renowned family in the entertainment industry, have openly shared their struggles with cancer. Four of the six sisters have faced cancer diagnoses or scares, leading to a rollercoaster of emotions within the family.

Anne, the first sister to be diagnosed, initially received a breast cancer diagnosis in 2000, followed by a second diagnosis in April 2020, this time in the opposite breast. Linda, another sister, discovered her secondary breast cancer had spread to her liver just days after Anne's second diagnosis.

"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 at the time. She initially found a lump while in the shower, leading to her second cancer diagnosis.

However, she has since gone into remission twice, and in December of that year, she revealed she was cancer-free. Bernie, the second youngest Nolan sister, was first diagnosed with breast cancer in April 2010 and was declared cancer-free in October of the same year after undergoing a mastectomy, chemotherapy, and taking Herceptin.

In February 2012, Bernie shared that she was no longer using cancer treatment drugs. By the end of October 2012, the cancer had made a devastating return to Bernie.

The doctors revealed that it had spread to her left breast, brain, lungs, liver and bones. Tragically, she died at her Surrey home in July the next year at just 52 years old.

"Bernie passed away peacefully this morning with all of her family around her," confirmed a statement at the time. In 2023, Coleen from Loose Women discovered she had skin cancer on her finger.

Recalling the moment of 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."

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