The death of Linda Nolan – announced earlier today (January 15) – has left her fans and loved ones heartbroken.
The singer died aged 65 following a long journey with cancer. Linda passed away “peacefully” and was “surrounded by her devoted family”.
Here, ED! looks back at how Linda spent her final Christmas.
Linda Nolan attended pantomime before death
As the festive season got into full swing, Linda revealed in her Mirror column from December 8 that she went and watched sister Maureen in a pantomime production of Snow White at St Helens in Merseyside.
Calling her sister “possibly the most beautiful wicked queen in the history of wicked queens”, Linda recalled her time on the panto scene.
“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,” she shared.
Linda ‘disappointed’ after falling ill on Christmas
Over the festive period, Linda ended up with a bad chest infection that left her unable to “eat a bite”. And on Christmas Day itself, she “was back in bed by 8pm”.
There was no late-night karaoke, and not one of my four selection boxes got opened.
The TV star called her 2024 Christmas “grim” and that she was “beyond disappointed”.
She explained: “It wasn’t the Christmas I wanted. There was no late-night karaoke, and not one of my four selection boxes got opened.”
Linda’s tribute to late parents
Despite Linda feeling like the day had been a let down, she still managed to remain cheerful about the holiday.
“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,” she shared.
Linda then revealed the heartwarming tribute the family paid to their late parents.
“We’ve talked about Christmases past and all the good times. We popped Frank 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,'” she said.
Thoughtful gift from sister Denise
Linda also shared that sister Denise treated her to an unconventional gift, due to Linda’s fears that she would fall over while half-dressed.
“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,” she said.
Linda went on: “They’d possibly be put to other uses if Brian was still alive… But here we are.”
Linda faced ‘bad case of flu’
Meanwhile, in her final column dated January 8, Linda revealed she “hadn’t eaten for 11 days” after battling the flu.
The singer and TV star shared that she felt so bad she feared the worst, as she candidly opened up.
Linda explained: “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?”
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