Always putting family first above all else, Linda Nolan spent her final Christmas surrounded by loved ones.
Having risen to fame in The Nolans alongside sisters Anne, Denise, Maureen, Bernie and Coleen, Linda, who has today (Wednesday, January 15), passed away at the age of 65, remained extremely close to her siblings who rallied around her in her final months.
And in her typically upbeat fashion, Dublin-born Linda expressed gratitude for every precious moment she spent with loved ones over the festive period – even during times when she was too sick to eat or cuddle her newborn great-nephews.
In a statement released to the Mirror, agent Dermot McNamara said: “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.”
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 achievements in music and entertainment. She was a beacon of hope and resilience, sharing her journey to raise awareness and inspire others. Rest in peace, Linda. You will be deeply missed, but never forgotten.”
Here, the Mirror takes a look at Linda’s last Christmas where a worrying symptom left her fearing the worst…
Linda made sure to watch sister Maureen in a pantomime production of Snow White at St Helens, in Merseyside, as the festive season got into full swing. She remarked that Maureen, 70, was “possibly the most beautiful wicked queen in the history of wicked queens” and also reflected on her own time treading the boards.
In a piece penned for the Mirror on December 18, Linda, who previously played the role of the wicked queen at the exact same theatre, pondered whether or not she’d still be starring in Pantos if she had her health. She wrote: “I used to love doing panto when Brian came with me, but I rather like having Christmas off these days. On Christmas Eve alone, Maureen’s got three shows!
“The number of pantos I’ve been in and watched over the years doesn’t bear thinking about, but when you catch kids watching, it’s like seeing it all afresh again.”
Christmas was Linda’s “favourite time of year”, and she made sure to throw herself into the festivities despite her illness, taking time to shop for gifts with her close pal Sue. With her usual twinkly sense of humour, Linda quipped: “She’s been great at taking me out in my wheelchair, although she no doubt needed a mulled wine after the last trip when she turned me round in one narrow aisle and we took out half of womenswear.”
Linda also made sure to take part in Christmas jumper day with the rest of the girls, sharing: “Mine has a gin goblet in a Santa hat on the front. Because nothing says Christmas like a G&T in a hat.” Taking a moment to look back on what had been a difficult year, Linda told Mirror readers: “I can barely believe I’ve made it – but here I am, and I’m so grateful. Thank you so much for reading my highs and lows this year. I’ll make a Christmas wish for many more.”
In her Mirror column penned after Christmas, Linda shared that sister Denise had treated her to a modesty slip, knowing of her fear of falling while half-dressed. Linda wrote: “It’s no secret I have five mats in the bathroom – I’m so terrified of falling and having to be hefted to my feet in my birthday suit. I know I shouldn’t lock the door because people need to get in, but I’m so worried about falling half-dressed, I often lock it anyway. Everyone, even my own sisters, are under strict orders to immediately throw me a towel if the worst happens.”
The ‘Naughty Nolan’ until the end, Linda added: “So faced with this conundrum Denise, bless her, sourced the modesty slip, which meant I was confronted with a pile of turquoise swimsuit material under the tree on Christmas Day, complete with two holes down the sides so you can slip your hands through and actually wash. (They’d possibly be put to other uses if Brian was still alive… But here we are.)”
Unfortunately, Linda came down with a bad chest infection over the festive period, which left her unable to “eat a bite, not even a sprout” on what was her “favourite day of the year”. Linda shared: “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 8pm. I still have gifts unwrapped. A travesty.”
On Boxing Day, instead of relaxing at home, Linda had to head to the GP, where she was prescribed antibiotics for a chest infection as well as anti-sickness pills for nausea. She wanted to avoid the hospital, and so her doctor agreed she could go back home unless her condition became more severe.
Conceding that it wasn’t the Christmas 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.”
However, even in her disappointment, Linda found reasons to be cheerful, continuing: “But, although I’ve missed the revelry, there’s been a different kind of Christmas and New Year in its place. Days of peace and reflection. We’ve talked about Christmases past and all the good times. We popped Sinatra on and remembered Mum and Dad. And my best friend Sue plans to stay with me to see in the New Year, telling me, ‘I am where you are’.”
In her column dated January 8, Linda revealed that she’d gone 11 days without food, with her sisters becoming so worried that they plied her with energy drinks. This, she explained, was all she was able to get down. According to Linda: “The doctors say it’s been a bad case of flu. I became so weak I’d walk a few steps and struggle to catch my breath. My legs were even more wobbly than usual and of course although I try not to, I immediately thought of how Bernie was at the end. You think, Oh my God, is this it?”
Linda finally felt like eating on Sunday, January 5, when Denise and her husband Tom ordered in a Chinese, and she suddenly fancied a “chicken curry with pineapple, no mushrooms.” Finding some amusement in the situation, as she often did, the star said: “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 wipe out.”
The following day, Linda felt well enough to head over to her brother Brian’s house, where his wife Annie had prepared scones as well as a coffee and walnut cake. Linda jested: “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.”
On New Year’s Eve, Denise, 72, became so concerned about Linda that she had her checked over at the hospital, where she was put on steroids on top of antibiotics.
Offering a snapshot of her quiet New Year’s celebrations, Linda told Mirror readers: “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.”
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