Coleen Nolan has praised sister Linda as well as sharing the exciting news that she’s heading off on a solo tour – in an exclusive interview.
The Loose Women legend spoke to Entertainment Daily this week, announcing her news and sharing an update on her sister Linda.
Linda has been diagnosed with incurable cancer that recently spread to her brain. Their sister Bernie sadly passed away of breast cancer in 2013, Coleen was recently diagnosed with skin cancer and Anne Nolan has twice been diagnosed with breast cancer.
While Coleen admits her family are cursed when it comes to the disease, the ladies haven’t lost their sense of humour, with Coleen telling ED! that she’s “in awe” of Linda because she can “still laugh” about it.
Coleen Nolan issues health update on sister
The star revealed she doesn’t know how Linda does it.
“She’s unbelievable. I don’t know how she does it,” she told us.
“You can phone her one day and she’ll go: ‘I’m just going in for my chemo,’ like she’s going to Tesco. It’s become such a part of her life and she handles it so well.”
However, she added: “But I know with the brain diagnosis, that’s really hit her hard. And with her, she feels really guilty about it, but one of the things she’s always struggled with is the hair loss. Linda was the blonde bombshell in the group, she had hair down to her waist, thick beautiful hair, and she’s always struggled with the hair loss.
“I mean, you go round there and she’s bald and calls herself Mrs Potato Head. But the hair loss depresses her more than anything.”
‘An incredible will to live’
Coleen also opened up about Linda’s treatment: “She’s on about 30-odd tablets each day. There’s tablets for the side effects [of chemo] then tablets for the side effects of the side effects. It’s unbearable. But she’s got an incredible will to live and mentally, she’s never given up, ever.”
She then added: “It’s just such a hard thing to go through but mentally she’s just gone, I want to live, so this is what I have to do. She’s great, but it’s been hard this one [the brain diagnosis] because the effects of it have come on quite quickly.”
Issuing a health update, she added: “She’s now in a wheelchair and she struggles with her speech. We laugh at her speech – she phones me up to talk to me then can’t remember what she’s going to say. I say: ‘Why can’t you remember?’ And she says: ‘Because I’ve got brain cancer!’ Then we laugh. She gets all her words mixed up but she laughs about it. I’m in awe of her because she can still laugh.”
‘She left it too long’
Coleen added: “The treatments these days are just incredible. And if they can get it in time… My sister Anne, she was first diagnosed in 2000. We’re now 2023, it came back in 2020 but she found it instantly and is absolutely fine again. It hasn’t spread, but she’s always been vigilant.
“Linda herself will say when she first got breast cancer she left it too long before she went to the doctors. It was really bad by the time she had the courage to check it out. Whereas Anne went instantly as soon as she felt a grain of rice under her skin. She thought I’ve never felt that before and it was cancer. She’s amazing as well.
“And then Bernie, who sadly passed away, she put up a brave battle and passed away. But it’s just horrendous the way it affects my family,” Coleen added.
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Coleen’s heading off on tour
Despite her health woes, Coleen is certain Linda will be front row when she heads off on tour next year. Although she did admit that that might not be a good thing…
Coleen kicks off her Naked tour in Blackpool early next year – and it’s been giving her sleepless nights.
She told ED!: “I am excited but I’m having sleepless nights about it because I’ve never done it. I’m always with my sisters if I’m on stage or my sisters of Loose Women. But it’s one of those things in life where people go what’s on your bucket list, and it’s always been on my bucket list.
“I love singing, performing is what I’ve grown up doing, and I just thought I don’t want to get to an age where it’s too late and I think why didn’t I give it a go? Everyone’s like, are you scared no one will come? But I’m still going to have a nice time as I’ll be singing my heart out. I’m so excited but scared to death.
“I have moments where I’m like, don’t be stupid, go and sit on Loose Women for an hour and talk your rubbish, but I’m going to do it. Feel the fear and do it anyway. Even if it’s crap,” she laughed.
‘I might get naked, who knows!’
Speaking about her sisters, Coleen added they’re “super excited” to see her up one stage, but added: “My biggest nervy moment will be in Blackpool. It’s where I grew up and all my family are there and you know family, they’re always honest. They’re a nice bunch but I’ve texted them and said on the first night just lie and tell me it’s great. Family can be very supportive or expect you to be at your best. I couldn’t open at a better place to be honest.”
Reflecting on the name of the saucy tour, which Coleen hopes will be “kind of like a musical autobiography, she also quipped: “I might get naked, who knows, I haven’t decided yet. If it’s not going well I might just whip them out!”
For more details and to book tickets for Coleen’s Naked tour, visit the website here.
Read more: Linda Nolan beams as sister Coleen shares huge family announcement
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