Anne Nolan 'emotional' at cancer update and says late sister Linda would be 'pleased'

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4 days ago

The Nolans star has shared she is now cancer free after going through treatment with sister Linda, who died in January.
What did you miss?
Anne Nolan has admitted she feels "emotional" at the news she is cancer-free as her sisters Linda and Bernie had the same illness but did not survive. She said she was sure late sister Linda is "looking down and thinking, 'thank goodness'" after they went through treatment together.
The Nolans singer was diagnosed with breast cancer for the second time in 2020, just a week before Linda was also told that her cancer had returned. The sisters supported each other through chemotherapy during the Covid pandemic, but Linda died in January.
Anne, who also lost sister Bernie to cancer 12 years ago, told Good Morning Britain that she had been thinking of her sisters during her final check up this year, and was grateful for Linda's positive attitude during the toughest days of their treatment.
What, how and why?
The Nolan family have gone through many tough moments with cancer, but Anne opened up on her happy news that she was cancer free in Monday, 28 July's Good Morning Britain and said she was sure late sister Linda would be delighted for her.
Speaking about her most recent diagnosis and treatment, Anne, who has had breast cancer twice, admitted that it had been a bittersweet moment finding out that her cancer was gone, as she reflected on losing two of her sisters to the same disease.
"It's been very traumatic," she said. "When I received the letter that said NHS, I thought I don't want to know and I put it aside for 10 minutes...when I opened it and it was good news, I had a bit of a weep. It was just everything really, I felt lucky, blessed, relieved and then emotional thinking about my sisters having gone through the same thing but not survived."
Host Ed Balls told her: "(Linda) would be so pleased at your news."
Anne agreed: "I'm sure she will be, I'm sure she'll be looking down and thinking, 'thank goodness'."
Read more:
The Nolan Sisters' history of cancer as Linda Nolan dies aged 65
Coleen Nolan tearfully opens up on 'hard' Loose Women return after sister Linda's death
What is secondary cancer?
Talking about going through cancer alongside her sister, she said: "I had breast cancer in 2000, 20 years ago. Almost to the day, I got it again in 2020. Linda received her diagnosis about a week after me and we went through it together during Covid.
"Most people were on their own, but Linda and I were there to support each other. We had our chemo together, she was the one who called us the chemo sisters. She was always in a good mood, always kept me going. It was great to have her support.
"Then when her cancer spread and she didn't survive, when I got my letter to say I was clear of cancer...I rang the (end of treatment) bell five years ago when I finished my chemo, but then you have another five years before you're told the cancer hasn't come back. I had a mammogram every year, my last one was in May and I did think about Linda and Bernie."
What is the Nolans' history with cancer?
The Nolans have been through more cancer diagnoses than most families, with many of the siblings having shared updates on their treatment over the years. Bernie died from breast cancer in 2013, and Linda died in January 2025.
Linda was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2005 and was told it had gone by 2011. In 2017, she was diagnosed with secondary breast cancer, which was contained within her hip and pelvis. In 2020, the cancer spread to her liver and three years later to her brain. She died in January after sharing regular health updates with her fans.
Bernie was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2010, and it then returned again in 2012. She was told that it was incurable and died less than a year later in 2013.
In 2023, Coleen shared that she had been treated for skin cancer, but said that it had been successfully removed.
Good Morning Britain airs on ITV1 at 6am on weekdays.