Anne Nolan revealed a request her sister Linda wanted her family to carry out during her funeral on GMB this morning (February 3).
On Saturday (February 1), Linda was laid to rest in Blackpool where her family and countless friends showed their respects. Her funeral took place at St Paul’s Church in Blackpool, where she and her late husband, Brian Hudson, got married in 1981. Brian died in 2007.
On the day, Linda was carried into the church inside a bright pink sparkly coffin that was decorated with flowers.
Anne Nolan reveals Linda’s ‘humorous’ funeral request
During an appearance on GMB today, Anne revealed to hosts Susanna Reid and Ed Balls that Linda’s funeral was “very emotional”, “very sad” but also “very joyous”.
Linda was the one who chose to have a bright pink coffin, but she also had another request that left her siblings unsure.
“She wanted us to wear mantillas,” Anne said.
I don’t really think she wanted us to wear mantillas, so we didn’t wear them.
She continued: “You know, the scarf things that you wear? The lace things? So my daughter and Coleen actually ordered them online. When they came, we chatted about it, and we said: ‘I think she might’ve been having a laugh there!’
“I don’t really think she wanted us to wear mantillas, so we didn’t wear them. But, that was the kind of humour she had.”
When Susanna asked Anne if she and Coleen tried the mantillas on, Anne nodded and insisted Linda was “just having us on”.
Linda’s other request was for everyone to “wear black and people to think about her and cry”.
‘She lit up every room she walked in to’
Many famous faces attended Linda’s funeral, from Coleen’s ex-husband Shane Richie to TOWIE star Charlotte Dawson.
Chuckle Brothers comedian Paul Elliott, who previously worked alongside Linda, also attended the ceremony.
“She was just a fun, bubbly person. The world’s a darker place without her,” he said. “She was just a wonderful person, we always got on well.”
Wearing a black dress, heels and a coat for the funeral, Pregnant Charlotte insisted Linda loved her in “full glam”.
“The sun is shining for her and she was such an amazing person. She lit up every room she walked in to,” she told the MailOnline.
“We had the best memories ever. We really did. Very special memories. Many a time drunk, when I wasn’t pregnant, I used to do her make-up as well. I would put her in full glam. We had so many different memories traveling the country having a laugh, getting into mischief – that was our favourite thing to do.”
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