Irish pop sensation and television personality Linda Nolan has died at the age of 65 following a courageous fight with secondary breast cancer. The Dublin-born singer passed away today, surrounded by her loving sisters. Her final moments were spent in “love and comfort.”
Her agent, Dermot McNamara, released a touching 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 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.”
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 accomplishments in music and entertainment. She was an emblem of hope and bravery, candidly sharing her journey to spread awareness and encourage others. Rest in peace, Linda. You will be deeply missed, but your spirit will endure eternally.”
Linda shot to fame in the 70s as part of The Nolans
The family have requested privacy, not disclosing the name of the hospital, but they’ve committed to organising a public memorial to honour the widely cherished celebrity. Linda’s sudden passing is sure to come as a shock to her ardent fans who’ve followed her candid sharing in her weekly Mirror column, where only recently she spoke of feeling more hopeful post-Christmas despite suspecting a “bout of flu”.
Tragically, after being admitted to hospital on Saturday with breathing issues, Linda was diagnosed with double pneumonia on top of brain-metastasized breast cancer, which quickly deteriorated her state. In a deeply emotional moment, her sisters – Anne, 74, Denise, 72, Maureen, 69, and Coleen, 59 – gathered by her side as she entered end-of-life care early Tuesday morning, staying with her until she passed.
Who is Linda Nolan?
Linda’s representative has since commemorated her expansive career as a singer, West End star, TV personality, philanthropist, author, and original member of The Nolans, selling over 30 million records worldwide, singing for President Gerald Ford, and touring with Frank Sinatra.
The statement said: “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 Nolan had been battling breast cancer
“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, herself in the limelight while battling cancer, has used her fame and sharp humour to uplift others undergoing similar struggles, including her sister Anne, who contended with stage three breast cancer back in 2020 – a mere days after Linda learnt that her own cancer had metastasized to her liver. Together, they confronted chemotherapy; Anne went into remission whereas Linda faced the reality that her condition was incurable.
Linda Nolan, herself in the limelight while battling cancer, has used her fame and sharp humor to uplift others undergoing similar struggles
(Image: Getty Images)
In 2023, Linda endured another setback when she discovered the disease had spread to her brain. Despite this, she plunged into charity work and championed a campaign for the remarkable Enhertu drug to be made available on the NHS to those with secondary breast cancer.
Even as she grappled with memory problems and a serious seeming flu over Christmas, Linda’s indomitable spirit persisted. Writing in her latest column last Thursday, she revealed to 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? ‘”.
Linda recently started feeling a bit of normality returning after a long fight with sickness, as she penned: “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 2023, Linda endured another setback when she discovered the disease had spread to her brain
(Image: Daily Mirror)
In a touching moment of contemplation, she stated, “I’m no fan of resolutions but here’s one: It’ll take more than flu to finish me off.”
Over the festive period, Linda experienced a rollercoaster of emotions, admitting her worry that Christmas 2024 might be her last. Consequently, she chose to move from her place in Blackpool to stay with her sister Denise and her husband Tom.
Despite trying to keep upbeat, Linda couldn’t ignore the natural fear that comes with her condition. “I try to stay positive,” she confided to The Mirror last 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 simple Christmas desire was to “keep breathing and see another one”. However, she steered clear of self-sorrow.
Focusing on the holiday cheer, she remarked, “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 her usual resilience, she declared, “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 heartrendingly candid piece for the Mirror, Linda opened up about her deepest fears concerning death. She shared a touching moment with a nurse, revealing: “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.”
Yet, after a comforting dream about her sister Bernie, who died in 2013 from breast cancer at 52, Linda felt a sense of peace.
Expressing her emotions, Linda said, “When I was told I had brain cancer and that it was treatable but not curable, I was shattered. But that night I went to bed and dreamed of Bernie all night,” and disclosed, “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 showed remarkable bravery by taking charge of planning her own funeral to make things less difficult for her loved ones. She made all the arrangements, down to the last detail, including a pink, sparkly coffin and the poignant Neil Sedaka song ‘Our Last Song Together’, as revealed in an interview with The Mirror in 2023.
With her typical wit, she remarked, “I think it’s a one-way trip now” and even chose her own funeral directors. In another candid conversation in August, Linda’s sister Coleen revealed to the Mirror that Linda had requested a sombre dress code of black for her funeral, wanting mourners to be “weeping and wailing”.
Coleen also joked that Linda might have a “no-fly list” for the event, hinting at her sister’s tendency to hold grudges, saying: “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 well-known family in the entertainment industry, have been open about their struggles with cancer.
Four of the six sisters have faced cancer diagnoses or scares, causing 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 shared with The Sun at the time.
She first discovered a lump while showering, which led to her second cancer diagnosis. However, she has since gone into remission twice, and in December of that year, she announced she was free from cancer.
Bernie, the second youngest Nolan sister, was initially diagnosed with breast cancer in April 2010 and was declared free from cancer in October of the same year after undergoing a mastectomy, chemotherapy, and taking Herceptin. In February 2012, Bernie revealed that she had stopped using cancer treatment drugs.
By the end of October 2012, the cancer had made a heartbreaking return to Bernie. The doctors disclosed that it had spread to her left breast, brain, lungs, liver and bones.
Tragically, she passed away at her Surrey home in July the following 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 found out she had skin cancer on her finger.
Reflecting on when she was told about her diagnosis, Coleen revealed: “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.”