Linda Nolan's tragic final days and real cause of death that 'wasn't cancer'

Linda died aged 65 on January 15 (Image: Getty)

Linda Nolan died at the age of 65 on January 15 following a lengthy battle with cancer.

The actress and singer, who rose to fame in family group The Nolans with sisters Coleen, Maureen, Bernie, Denise and Anne, passed away surrounded by her family, with her last hours said to have been full of "love and comfort".

The Irish TV personality was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2005 but was told she has successfully fought the disease the following year.

In 2017, Linda was diagnosed with secondary cancer in her hip, which spread to her liver in 2020. Three years later, the cancer spread to her brain.

However, Linda's sister Maureen Nolan, 70, revealed that cancer was not her cause of death.

Linda died after contracting pneumonia (Image: ITV)

Penning an emotional tribute to Linda after her passing, Maureen explained that her sister died after contracting pneumonia.

In her post, she said: "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 what would be her final column for The Mirror, Linda opened up about struggling with a "bad case of flu".

She wrote: "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 spent her final days "laughing and joking" (Image: X)

"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 poignant final line, Linda added: "I'm no fan of resolutions but here's one: It'll take more than flu to finish me off."

Despite her endless health battles, Linda was "laughing and joking" in her final days. 

“She’d been laughing and joking, although the medical team had told her she had to stay quiet to let her treatment do its job,” her sister Denise Nolan, 72, she told The Mirror.

The singer added: "Everyone was being quietly optimistic as she’d seemed so cheerful."

Coleen shared the cherished final moments she spent with Linda (Image: Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)

In the aftermath of Linda's tragic death, Coleen shared the cherished final moments they spent together, revealing how those precious memories provided the family with some solace.

The Loose Women star said: "My daughter Ciara and I sat with her and we said everything we needed to say to each other. She told us how much she loved us and we told her we loved her. I think she knew it would be the last time she'd see us, but there were no tears.

Coleen added that despite Linda's deteriorating health since Christmas, she remained in good spirits until the end.

"Although she had double pneumonia and was on oxygen, she was cracking jokes, being her usual funny self and eating the chocolate people had brought her. She wanted to hear about my new grandson and I showed her lots of photos of him."