Maureen Nolan has revealed her beloved sister Linda Nolan didn't die of cancer, a day after her tragic death.
The TV personality and pop star died at the age of 65 following her secondary breast cancer diagnosis. The Daily Mirror Columnist passed away on Wednesday with her famous sisters at her side and final hours were said to have been full of "love and comfort." Just last week, Linda had told the Mirror she had been feeling brighter after being ill over Christmas.
However, on Saturday she was taken to hospital suffering from breathing problems. Doctors diagnosed double pneumonia and because of her secondary breast cancer, which had spread to her brain, her condition sadly deteriorated. Maureen said Linda's pneumonia diagnosis was "one battle too much" and said how "the big C didn’t actually get her".
In her own statement, Maureen shared: "Our beautiful @thelindanolan left us yesterday, so much to say not sure where or if I can start, countless memories, countless laughs, and constant support when you really needed it, I am heartbroken as we all are, just so sad [heartbroken emojis].
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INSTAGRAM)"I would just like to say, to all the people out there who felt inspired by Linda, she didn’t the big C didn’t actually get her. She contracted double pneumonia over Christmas and New Year and because of her immune system it was one battle too much. So please keep hopeful and strong if you are suffering, she lasted nearly 20 yrs with one cancer or another, and so can you."
In a statement released to the Mirror, agent Dermot McNamara, said yesterday: "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."
The statement continued: "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."
Linda was a member of the Irish family group The Nolans alongside her sisters Coleen, Maureen, Bernie, Denise, and Anne. She had battled breast cancer since her diagnosis in 2005. She was initially given the all-clear in 2011, but the cancer returned as secondary breast cancer in 2017. By 2020, it had spread further, and in 2023, it affected her brain.
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Popperfoto via Getty Images)Loose Women star Coleen also paid tribute to Linda. She said: "I am utterly devastated by the passing of my sister, Linda. Linda was a beacon of love, kindness, and strength. Her wit, humour and laughter was infectious, her presence could light up any room. Linda had a heart full of compassion and always knew how to bring comfort and joy to those around her.
“Her memory will live on in the many lives she touched, and while we will miss her more than words can express, we take solace in the love and warmth she shared with all of us. Rest in peace, Linda. You will forever be in our hearts." Coleen's son and Linda's nephew, Jake Roche, shared: "I will miss my aunty Linda greatly. She was THAT Auntie.
"The one that let you stay up late, would occasionally let you swear, and would sit and go through the whole Mickey monologue from Blood Brothers with me until I had it down. She had a remarkable life and I take comfort in the fact she lived it authentically. Thank you for all your kind words."
Linda shared her last column for the Mirror on Thursday. She revealed she had been unwell over Christmas with what she thought was the flu. She told her readers: "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?'
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Andy Stenning/Daily Mirror)"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 what will prove to be a poignant final line, she added: "I'm no fan of resolutions but here's one: It'll take more than flu to finish me off."
Linda recently shared her fears that Christmas 2024 may be her last as she told us: "I try to stay positive." She bravely said her Christmas wish was to "keep breathing and see another one". Linda had already planned her own funeral so it would be "easier for people left behind". In 2023, she told The Mirror: "I think it's a one-way trip now." She wanted Neil Sedaka's Our Last Song Together to be played and laughed that she wanted a "pink, sparkly coffin".
The Nolans have been rocked by heartbreak over the years as four of the six sisters have received a cancer diagnosis or had a cancer scare at some point in their lives. Anne was the first sister to fall ill, after being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2000. She later got the all-clear, only to be diagnosed with breast cancer again in April 2020 - this time in the opposite breast.
The second youngest Nolan sister, Bernie, first announced she had been diagnosed with breast cancer in April 2010. Later that year she revealed she was cancer free yet by the end of October 2012, Bernie's cancer had returned. Doctors told the singer the disease returned to her left breast, brain, lungs, liver and bones. The late star passed at her home in Surrey in July of the following year.
The Macmillan Support Line offers confidential support to people living with cancer and their loved ones. If you need to talk, call us on 0808 808 0000.
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