Inside Linda Nolan's final days from sad fear over new symptom to sister's brave act

In the last days earlier her passing, Linda Nolan was surrounded by her devoted siblings and was 'embraced with emotion and comfort', but she besides had a heartbreaking fearfulness earlier passing distant astatine the property of 65.

Linda spent 1 past bustling Christmas with her beloved family, who bravely kept a vigil by her broadside arsenic she reached her last hours. The Nolan sister had lived with crab for galore years, but sadly, successful March 2023, it was revealed the illness had dispersed to her brain, and she mislaid her conflict conscionable nether a twelvemonth later.

Christmas was vocalist and actress Linda's "favourite clip of year", and she documented this past 1 successful her candid file for the Mirror, which was filled with examples of her fantabulous consciousness of humour and quality to look connected the agleam side, adjacent during immoderate of the astir achy times successful her life.

Sadly, a atrocious thorax corruption near Linda incapable to devour her Christmas dinner, oregon so get down immoderate nutrients different than vigor drinks for the adjacent 11 days, overmuch to the dismay of her close-knit set of surviving sisters, Anne, 74, Denise, 72, Maureen, 69, and Coleen, 59.

Linda's decease has travel arsenic a daze to her loyal fans, galore of whom person followed her crab travel successful her refreshingly honorable play Mirror column.

In a file published connected January 1, Linda explained that she'd been incapable to "eat a bite, not adjacent a sprout" connected what was her "favourite time of the year". Linda recalled: "I staggered down astatine noon and could lone beryllium connected the sofa arsenic everyone other tucked into lunch. I managed to unfastened immoderate presents but was backmost successful furniture by 8 pm. I inactive person gifts unwrapped. A travesty."

On Boxing Day, Linda headed to the GP, wherever she was prescribed antibiotics for a thorax corruption arsenic good arsenic anti-sickness pills for nausea. She was keen to debar a infirmary visit, truthful her doc agreed she could spell backmost location unless her information took a turn.

Admitting that it hadn't been the fun-filled festive play she'd hoped for, Linda penned: "It's been grim. It wasn't the Christmas I wanted. There was nary late-night karaoke, and not 1 of my 4 enactment boxes got opened. As I constitute this, I don't program to spell to Coleen's New Year's bash either. No burger van successful the driveway for me, and nary cuddles with her lad Jake's caller baby. I'm beyond disappointed."

After becoming disquieted astir Linda connected New Year's Eve, Denise, 72, made definite to person her checked implicit astatine the hospital, wherever she was enactment connected a dose of steroids connected apical of antibiotics. In different piece, Linda reflected connected her low-key extremity to the year, with adjacent pal Sue joining her astatine home. According to Linda: "They sent maine backmost location to rest, and she was past reassured capable to spell to Coleen's New Year's party arsenic my person Sue and her hubby Graham came circular to stay. I was dormant by 10.10 p.m. – but that was beauteous bully going!

"I missed retired connected pizzas and babies – our caller large nephews, Coleen’s lad Jake’s lad and our member Tommy’s caller grandson. But for the archetypal clip successful my life, I wasn’t successful the temper for cuddles."

In her last Mirror column, published January 8, Linda revealed her archetypal repast of 2025 had been a takeaway crockery of "Chicken curry with pineapple, nary mushrooms", which she enjoyed with Denise and her husband, Tom Anderson. Linda told readers: "Pineapple successful a curry. That was the foil instrumentality to yet tempt maine retired of my fast. My precise ain Chinese New Year. I hadn’t eaten for 11 days – what a Christmas! A implicit wipeout. Everyone's been truthful worried. The girls person been bringing maine vigor drinks, and that's each I’ve been capable to get down."

The adjacent day, Linda felt good capable to sojourn her member Brian, whose woman Annie had baked a sheet of scones and a java and walnut cake. Witty adjacent successful her last days, Linda wrote: "I told her nary 1 likes a show-off. I ate a full fractional a scone. Jam and pick too. It was truthful bully to get retired and chat – oregon listen, rather, which I cognize sounds unlikely, but I’m suffering from the worst adust mouth, truthful gossiping’s restricted. I deliberation that’s a chemo side-effect alternatively than the flu."

Discussing however sick she'd been, Linda said: “The doctors accidental it's been a atrocious lawsuit of flu. I'd locomotion a fewer steps and conflict to drawback my breath. My legs were adjacent much wobbly than accustomed and, though I effort not to, I thought of however Bernie was astatine the end. You think, 'Oh my God, is this it?'

“It was lone connected Monday I felt good capable to task out. It feels similar a full caller world retired there. There's thing similar the sensation of starting to consciousness amended aft an illness. You've forgotten what it feels similar to consciousness mean (well, I accidental normal?). In a last enactment that present feels poignant successful retrospect, Linda continued: “I'm nary instrumentality of resolutions, but here's one: It'll instrumentality much than flu to decorativeness maine off.”

On Saturday 11, Linda was taken to infirmary with breathing problems. Doctors diagnosed treble pneumonia, and due to the fact that of her secondary bosom cancer, which had dispersed to her brain, she was sadly incapable to recover. Linda's sisters, Anne, Denise, Maureen, and Coleen, were called to her bedside astatine 3.30 americium connected Tuesday arsenic doctors started end-of-life care. They kept a vigil by her broadside successful her last hours earlier she passed distant peacefully connected Wednesday.

In a connection released to the Mirror, cause Dermot McNamara, said: "It is with profound sadness that we denote the passing of Linda Nolan, the celebrated Irish popular legend, tv personality, Guinness World Record-holding West End star, Sunday Times bestselling writer and Daily Mirror columnist."

The connection continued: "She passed peacefully, with her loving siblings by her bedside, ensuring she was embraced with emotion and comfortableness during her last moments. Linda's bequest extends beyond her unthinkable achievements successful euphony and entertainment. She was a beacon of anticipation and resilience, sharing her travel to rise consciousness and animate others. Rest successful peace, Linda. You volition beryllium profoundly missed but ne'er forgotten."

This connection besides acknowledged Linda's awesome achievements arsenic a West End prima and singer, arsenic good arsenic successful the tract of foundation campaigning. It reads: "As a subordinate of The Nolans, 1 of the astir palmy miss groups of each time, Linda achieved planetary success, touring the satellite and selling implicit 30 cardinal records, with hits specified arsenic Gotta Pull Myself Together, Attention to Me and the iconic disco classical I’m In The Mood for Dancing. Her distinctive dependable and magnetic signifier beingness brought joyousness to fans astir the world, securing her spot arsenic an icon of British and Irish entertainment.

"Linda besides dedicated her beingness to helping others, helping rise implicit £20 cardinal for galore charities, including Breast Cancer Now, Breast Cancer Ireland and Samaritans, amongst countless others. Her selflessness and tireless committedness to making a quality successful the lives of others volition everlastingly beryllium a cornerstone of her legacy."

After archetypal being diagnosed with bosom crab successful 2005, Linda was fixed the all-clear successful 2011. However, successful 2017, conscionable 4 years aft the tragic decease of sister Bernie successful 2013, astatine the property of conscionable 53, Linda learned the illness had returned aft tumours were discovered successful her hep bony and pelvis. Like Bernie, Linda was diagnosed with incurable secondary bosom crab and remained determined to marque the implicit astir of the clip she had left.

Using her important level arsenic a euphony icon, and her fantastic consciousness of humour, Linda dedicated herself to helping others who were navigating akin ordeals. This included her ain sister Anne, who was diagnosed with signifier 3 bosom crab successful 2020, specified days aft Linda learned her crab had dispersed to her liver.

The 2 supportive sisters underwent chemotherapy together, but portion Anne thankfully went into remission, Linda’s crab could lone beryllium slowed down, not cured. In 2023, Linda discovered the crab had dispersed to her bones and brain, but adjacent then, she continued to propulsion herself into foundation enactment - starring the run for wonderdrug Enhertu to beryllium made readily disposable connected the NHS for each those surviving with secondary bosom cancer.