There's no doubt about it - singer Linda Nolan truly is a fighter. The 65 year old is living with incurable cancer and when we catch up in our exclusive chat, she revealed she's just suffered another fall, one of many this year. "I try to stay positive,” Linda insisted. “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.” For the star, such medical emergencies are now commonplace as she deals with a harsh diagnosis of secondary breast cancer, which has spread to her hip, liver and brain.
Although she's now moved in with her sister Denise and her husband Tom, accidents are inevitable as Linda continues to live with the disease that also took the life of her beloved sister Bernie in 2013 at the age of 52. Linda also bravely opened up about an incident that took place at Halloween that 'knocked out' some of her teeth. “So I managed to knock some of my teeth out a few weeks back,” she said. “It was just before Halloween and I’d had another fall. Anyway, these children came to Denise’s door, trick or treating, and I’m there, bald as anything, no teeth – and these poor little girls ran away screaming. I couldn’t stop laughing. I love Halloween and they actually thought I was a witch. A real one!”. The warmth and positivity in Linda’s voice is infectious. Here is a lady who clearly loves life and sees the joy in it, even when children run screaming from her.
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OK!/David Cummings)Image:
OK!/David Cummings)Even with everything she’s going through, Linda is determined to make the most of every moment. “I thought my 60th birthday would be my last, but I’m still here five years later,” she said defiantly. “It’s easy to sit back and get depressed about it, but I’m still going. My hope for this year? To not die, obviously. I just want to be here with my family. I want us all to be here this time next year, that’s the goal.”
It’s been 50 years since Linda first rose to fame in The Nolans, selling 30 million records with hits such as Attention To Me, Gotta Pull Myself Together and I’m In The Mood For Dancing. It’s clear the support of her siblings has been a huge help to Linda, who lost her husband Brian to liver cancer in 2007. After one fall which left her “looking like I’d gone five rounds with Michael Tyson”, Denise and Tom insisted Linda move in with them, just five doors down the road.
Now, with the help of Denise and their surviving sisters Maureen, Anne and Coleen, as well as brothers Tommy and Brian, Linda has managed to find positives in her situation – though she acknowledges not everyone is able to stay as upbeat as she does about her diagnosis. “I’ve got an amazing family and great friends, some I’ve known since primary school,” she explains. “And I try to get out to walk with them at least twice a week, which is key in keeping me active and staying positive. It gets the endorphins flowing."
Shot on location at Ribby Hall Village, visit ribbyhall.co.uk
English (US) ·