11 December 2023 , 18:30
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The Nolan sisters have found themselves facing cancer diagnoses at various points over the years, and it's understood that they draw from their shared sense of humour to get through the many tough times they've shared.
In tonight's new ITV show - The Real Monty: Jingle Balls - Coleen Nolan acts as a 'nudity mentor' to help celebrities feel confident in stripping off in a bid to raise awareness of certain types of cancers. The two-parter sees celebrities open up about how the deadly disease has impacted their lives.
It's an issue very close to home for Coleen, and during today's appearance on Good Morning Britain, the star shared an update about sister Linda Nolan, who is currently battling brain cancer, praising her remarkable strength and expressing her relief that her tumour has thankfully now shrunk. The 58-year-old Loose Women panellist told host Susanna Reid: "I saw her this weekend, actually. My sister had a pre-Christmas family do and we were all there. And I saw Linda and she's just doing so well, and I was saying to her, 'Are you sure you're not winding me up with all this and it's just great publicity? because you just look great'."
Coleen herself has also previously spoken candidly about her own fight with skin cancer, announcing her diagnosis back in July. As frightening as the news undoubtedly was, however, Coleen remarked at the time that it was 'nothing compared to what [her] sisters have been through'.
Anne was the first of the Nolan sisters to fight the disease (Anne Nolan)
She and sister Linda co-authored a book about their personal cancer journeysAnne
The first Nolan sister to fight the disease, Anne Nolan, 72, was initially diagnosed with breast cancer back in 2000, before being diagnosed with stage three breast cancer 20 years later, in 2020. To the relief of fans, back in August, Anne celebrated three years of being cancer-free, taking to Instagram with a poignant update.
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Mother-of-two Anne wrote: "This week marks the three-year mark since I celebrated the end of my chemotherapy treatment for breast cancer by ringing the bell in the oncology department. Back in 2020, the world was a scary place with the COVID-19 pandemic. For me, it was even more frightening as I battled breast cancer for the second time. Like everyone else, I couldn't see my daughters or grandchildren during that challenging period. But as I look back on the past three years, I'm proud of the professional achievements I've accomplished. However, the most precious thing to me is spending time with my family. Even if it means waking up at 7 am to cheer on my grandchildren as they play football on Saturday mornings."
She continued: "I want to extend a heartfelt thank you to my sister @thelindanolan, who is still undergoing treatment, for her strength and support. I'm also grateful to my sister @maureennolanofficial for being there for me during those difficult days. And lastly, my sincere appreciation goes out to everyone else who assisted me along the way especially my daughters, friends and sisters @missdenisenolan and @coleen_nolan."
In 2021, Anne and sister Linda, who were diagnosed within mere days of each other, published a book detailing their personal experiences of cancer, entitled Stronger Together: How We're Living While Fighting.
Bernie was just 52 when she passed away (Publicity Picture)
She was convinced that she would survive her illness (David Fisher/REX/Shutterstock)Bernie
The second youngest of sisters Anne, Denise, Maureen, Linda, and Coleen, Bernie Nolan was the lead vocalist in their chart-topping band, The Nolans, and also enjoyed plenty of success in musical theatre and TV acting. Sadly, Bernie was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2010, which spread to her brain, lungs, liver, and bones. She passed away in her sleep at her Surrey home in 2013, aged just 52.
Reflecting on her sister's lively personality during a 2021 interview with Piers Morgan, Coleen recalled how Bernie just 'would not accept' that she was dying, with her optimism even leaving her family members convinced. Coleen recalled: "Bernie would not accept any other scenario except she's going to live. Whatever they said, she was going to live. And I guess she convinced us of that as well."
"I'll never, ever forget her. And we talk about her as if she's still here and it still does feel like she's a massive part of our family because whatever we do, Bernie is mentioned. Sometimes sadly because everything we do we say, Bernie would love this. She was just so full of life and it was, it was… hard."
Linda has had some positive news at last this Christmas season (DIGITAL/EROTEME.CO.UK)Linda
Linda Nolan, 64, has long been open about her lengthy cancer journey, which began back in 2005 when she was first diagnosed with breast cancer. The singer received the all-clear in 2006, but in 2017 she was sadly diagnosed with incurable secondary cancer in her hip, which has since spread to her liver and brain.
During a recent episode of Good Morning Britain, Linda shared that she had been given an 'early Christmas present' after learning her latest round of treatment had shrunk the tumours. Linda said: "It's amazing… When we went in, I knew straight away that it was good news by the look on my consultant's face. He said that the scans were good – the MRI and the CT scan – and that there is shrinkage with the tumours. I wanted to put my arms around him and kiss him but I thought they might throw me out."
Looking on the bright side, Linda, who had previously feared she wouldn't live to see another Christmas, continued: "I was hoping to make the birth of my nephew, who was born at the end of July, and then I was thinking, 'How many more milestones will I make?' And at the moment, I feel good. I've got a little bit of pain but I was walking about yesterday; we went to the beautiful garden centre and I was having a walk around to keep moving. They said, 'Don't sit down all the time or nothing will work', and I just looked and thought, 'How lucky I am'. After nine months and getting the worst possible news, having a great time with my sisters, and now it's all excitement for Christmas."
Fans rushed to show support for Coleen following her skin cancer diagnosis (ITV)Coleen
Back in July, during an episode of Loose Women, Coleen shared that she had been diagnosed with carcinoma and melanoma after finding 'tiny patches' on her skin she had initially assumed were signs of eczema. Fans rushed to show their support, with some even prompted to get their own symptoms checked out.
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In an interview with Metro, however, Coleen admitted she felt 'embarrassed' by the reaction, as she felt her own struggles paled in comparison to what her sisters had been through. Coleen explained: "It kind of went a bit mad when I mentioned it. And then I felt embarrassed. Because in the grand scheme of things of what people are going through, including my sister, who now has brain cancer. It was just all a bit too dramatic for me. I was like 'guys, this is absolutely fine'."
She added: "There's definitely a positive [in that other people got checked out after her announcement] but I felt embarrassed because people were being so lovely. I mean, they would message me going: 'I'm praying for you and I’m so sorry', and I'm thinking 'just keep praying for my sister because she's got brain cancer."
Whatever people living with cancer need to ask about cancer, work, money or life. The big things and the small stuff. Macmillan is at the end of the phone and online to provide support. Call the Macmillan Support Line on 0808 808 00 00 or visit macmillan.org.uk and ask anything.