In the final days before her passing, Linda Nolan was surrounded by her devoted siblings and was 'embraced with love and comfort', but she also had a heartbreaking fear before passing away at the age of 65. Linda spent one last bustling Christmas with her beloved family, who bravely kept a vigil by her side as she reached her final hours. The Nolan sister had lived with cancer for many years, but sadly, in March 2023, it was revealed the disease had spread to her brain, and she lost her battle just under a year later.
Christmas was singer and actress Linda's "favourite time of year", and she documented this last one in her candid column for the Mirror, which was filled with examples of her excellent sense of humour and ability to look on the bright side, even during some of the most painful times in her life. Sadly, a bad chest infection left Linda unable to eat her Christmas dinner, or indeed get down any nutrients other than energy drinks for the next 11 days, much to the dismay of her close-knit band of surviving sisters, Anne, 74, Denise, 72, Maureen, 69, and Coleen, 59.
Linda's death has come as a shock to her loyal fans, many of whom have followed her cancer journey in her refreshingly honest weekly Mirror column. In a column published on January 1, Linda explained that she'd been unable to "eat a bite, not even a sprout" on what was her "favourite day of the year". Linda recalled: "I staggered down at noon and could only sit on the sofa as everyone else tucked into lunch. I managed to open some presents but was back in bed by 8 pm. I still have gifts unwrapped. A travesty.".
On Boxing Day, Linda headed to the GP, where she was prescribed antibiotics for a chest infection as well as anti-sickness pills for nausea. She was keen to avoid a hospital visit, so her doctor agreed she could go back home unless her condition took a turn. Admitting that it hadn't been the fun-filled festive season she'd hoped for, Linda penned: "It's been grim. It wasn't the Christmas I wanted. There was no late-night karaoke, and not one of my four selection boxes got opened. As I write this, I don't plan to go to Coleen's New Year's bash either. No burger van in the driveway for me, and no cuddles with her son Jake's new baby. I'm beyond disappointed.".
After becoming worried about Linda on New Year's Eve, Denise, 72, made sure to have her checked over at the hospital, where she was put on a dose of steroids on top of antibiotics. In another piece, Linda reflected on her low-key end to the year, with close pal Sue joining her at home. According to Linda: "They sent me back home to rest, and she was then reassured enough to go to Coleen's New Year's party as my friend Sue and her husband Graham came round to stay. I was asleep by 10.10 pm – but that was pretty good going!.
"I missed out on pizzas and babies – our new great nephews, Coleen’s son Jake’s boy and our brother Tommy’s new grandson. But for the first time in my life, I wasn’t in the mood for cuddles.". In her final Mirror column, published January 8, Linda revealed her first meal of 2025 had been a takeaway dish of "Chicken curry with pineapple, no mushrooms", which she enjoyed with Denise and her husband, Tom Anderson. Linda told readers: "Pineapple in a curry. That was the foil container to finally tempt me out of my fast. My very own Chinese New Year. I hadn’t eaten for 11 days – what a Christmas! A complete wipeout. Everyone's been so worried. The girls have been bringing me energy drinks, and that's all I’ve been able to get down.".
The next day, Linda felt well enough to visit her brother Brian, whose wife Annie had baked a plate of scones and a coffee and walnut cake. Witty even in her final days, Linda wrote: "I told her no one likes a show-off. I ate a whole half a scone. Jam and cream too. It was so good to get out and chat – or listen, rather, which I know sounds unlikely, but I’m suffering from the worst dry mouth, so gossiping’s restricted. I think that’s a chemo side-effect rather than the flu.".
Discussing how ill she'd been, Linda said: “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?'. “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 final line that now feels poignant in retrospect, Linda continued: “I'm no fan of resolutions, but here's one: It'll take more than flu to finish me off.”.
On Saturday 11, Linda was taken to hospital with breathing problems. Doctors diagnosed double pneumonia, and because of her secondary breast cancer, which had spread to her brain, she was sadly unable to recover. Linda's sisters, Anne, Denise, Maureen, and Coleen, were called to her bedside at 3.30 am on Tuesday as doctors started end-of-life care. They kept a vigil by her side in her final hours before she passed away peacefully on Wednesday.
