The Nolans are one of Britain’s most beloved families, and the singing siblings have faced plenty of devastating tragedies over the years.
Often referred to as Ireland’s first family of music, the group were the first Irish performers to achieve international success.
The band had seven international hits, including I’m In The Mood For Dancing, Who’s Gonna Rock You and Chemistry and they sold over 30 million records, making them one of the the world’s biggest selling girl groups.
Siblings Anne, Bernie, Maureen, Coleen and Linda have had more than their fair share of bad times.
It was announced yesterday that Linda and Anne both have cancer and are fighting cancer together.
Daily Star Online take a look back at The Nolans’ heartbreaking family history with cancer.
Linda and Anne battle cancer together
Linda and Anne Nolan announced over the weekend that they are both battling cancer together (Image: Sunday Mirror)
Linda and Anne have spoken of their devastation after being diagnosed with different forms of cancer just days apart.
The sisters are both having chemotherapy at a hospital in Blackpool.
They were diagnosed shortly after they returned from filming a series of The Nolans Go Cruising, with sisters Maureen and Coleen, in March.
Linda is currently battling cancer of the liver, and Anne has breast cancer.
Linda, Coleen, Anne and Maureen Nolan have had their fair share of family heartbreak over the years (Image: PA Photo/Quest Red/Discovery Communications, LLC.)
Both sisters have lost their hair due to their treatment.
A message posted on The Nolans’ official Twitter account read: “We will get through this together, as a family.”
Both Linda and Anne have vowed to beat their cancer, a disease they have both had to confront before.
Anne’s cancer diagnosis
Anne has been diagnosed with breast cancer for the second time
Anne, 69, is the eldest Nolan sister and is a mother of two and a grandmother of three young grandchildren.
The pop star was first diagnosed with breast cancer back in 2000, which she beat.
Anne is now fighting stage three of the disease, the most serious being stage four.
Speaking to The Sun, Anne said “My first cancer was diagnosed in April 2000.
The pop star was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2000 (Image: PH)
“I found my lump in April, so it was exactly 20 years on.”
Anne’s chemo has been particularly difficult, and saw her end up in hospital for 11 days.
She told the publication: “It’s really toxic chemo and it’s not been good.
“They were testing me for sepsis and Covid and everything. But all my results came back negative. So it was just the chemo that was making me ill.”
Anne is the eldest Nolan sister (Image: PA)
Anne will have either a mastectomy or lumpectomy, most likely followed by radiotherapy.
She said: “The cancer hasn’t metastasised, it’s just contained in the breast. That was an amazing thing to hear really.
“I keep telling myself the chemo is horrible, but hopefully it’s doing its job.
:I’m not brave. I haven’t been brave at all — I’ve been crying and probably stressing my sisters and my daughters.
“So I’m not brave. I just haven’t got any choice. Either I do it, take chemo, or face the consequences.”
Linda’s cancer hell
Linda Nolan has taken a lot of knocks over the years (Image: Julian Hamilton/Sunday Mirror)
Linda Nolan has taken a lot of knocks over the years – the loss of her sister Bernie to cancer plus her own battle with breast cancer and the shock discovery that she’s now fighting cancer once more.
The star’s incurable cancer is in her liver; her third cancer battle following breast cancer in 2006, cellulitis and lymphoedema in her arm in 2007 and secondary cancer on her pelvis in 2017.
Sister Coleen revealed on on Loose Women in 2017 at the time that Linda had “incurable” cancer after finding a cyst on her hip.
“The positive thing is, although it is not curable, it is treatable and it hasn’t spread anywhere else,” Coleen revealed.
The former CBB contestant has incurable cancer
“Linda wants to get it across she isn’t dying of cancer because it is treatable and she could have years, so we have to focus on that.”
In a joint interview with sister Anne published over the weekend, Linda admitted that she is scared of dying.
The 61-year-old star told The Sun: “It’s just really hard and I’m scared of dying. I don’t want to die.
“I want to be around and see my great nieces and nephews grow up, and that’s why I’m putting everything I’ve got into trying to get well.”
Linda has admitted she is scared of dying (Image: PA)
“On May 7 our sister Maureen called me at 10am to say that Anne’s breast cancer had been confirmed.
“Then half an hour later my oncologist’s secretary phoned me to say, ‘We need you to have an MRI scan because we’ve seen something on your liver’.
“I couldn’t tell anyone then because they were so obviously devastated about Anne.
“I thought, ‘I can’t turn around now and say, ‘Actually I’ve got it back as well’.”
Sister Coleen revealed on on Loose Women in 2017 at the time that Linda had “incurable” cancer after finding a cyst on her hip (Image: itv)
Linda, who never had children, has revealed that she’s found it really hard losing her hair.
She told the publication: “It’s a difficult thing to say to people that, ‘Yes, I’ve got cancer but I’m traumatised about losing my hair’.
“How you look is part of showbiz and everybody gets labelled. I was blonde with the big boobs. So cancer has taken that away from me.
“First I had a mastectomy in 2006 and now my hair, and it’s just really hard.”
Linda’s husband loses cancer battle
Linda was widowed in 2007 when her husband of 23 years Brian Hudson died from liver failure after battling cancer (Image: Mirrorpix)
Former Celebrity Big Brother star Linda was widowed in 2007 when her husband of 23 years, the Nolans’ former tour manager Brian Hudson, died after a battle with skin cancer and liver failure aged 60.
Following the death of her husband, Linda has only kissed one man.
Linda told The Sun: “I am ready to live with cancer and maybe love with cancer and hopefully there’s somebody out there.
Brain died of skin cancer 11 years ago aged 60. (Image: Mirrorpix)
“I know Brian is up there going, ‘Oh go for it girl, I’ll be here waiting for you when the time comes but enjoy yourself’. I think that’s what he would want.”
Speaking about her husband’s death back in 20018, Linda told the Belfast Telegraph: “Life without Brian is a nightmare. He was my soulmate and I miss him terribly.”
“After Brian my mother Maureen died at 81 in December so surely nothing else can go wrong.
“I wouldn’t wish what has happened to me on anyone else. However, the Nolans are a great family and rally round and my two step-children Lloyd and Sarah give me tremendous support.”
Bernie’s heartbreaking death
Bernie Nolan passed away in 2013
The Nolans’ lead singer Bernie was diagnosed with breast cancer in April 2010.
The actress underwent chemotherapy and a mastectomy and was soon given the all clear.
However, Bernie revealed the cancer had returned, and had spread to her brain, lungs, liver and bones in 2012.
Bernie passed away in 2013 aged 52.
Bernie starred as an actress in Brookside and The Bill
Writing in her autobiography, Loose Women star Coleen revealed that the famous rift between the sisters was far from healed.
The ITV star revealed things between her and sister Denise continued to sour after Bernie died.
Coleen penned: “When Bernie was ill Denise and I both did our best to come to an uneasy truce. But once Bernie had died the truce appeared to be over.
“I hoped we could move on but soon after, she wrote on her website that she doubts we can ever be friends and, sadly, that’s the truth.”
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
