Anne Nolan Reveals the Moment Her World Turned Upside Down: The Heart-Wrenching ‘Traumatic’ Experience of Learning She Had Cancer
The Nolans singer spoke of the emotional moment on ITV’s Good Morning Britain
Anne Nolan appeared on Good Morning Britain(Image: ITV)
Anne Nolan has opened up about the emotional moment she found out she was cancer free.
The Nolans singer, and sister of Loose Women’s Coleen Nolan, has battled breast cancer twice. Earlier this year, the family lost Linda to the disease, while Bernie died of the same illness in 2013.
Anne, 74, received the news just days ago that she is cancer-free, having been first diagnosed in 2000 and then 20 years later.
Appearing on Monday’s Good Morning Britain, she shared the emotional journey she’s faced, and the relief at her health update after a gruelling chemo journey and the anxiety she suffered.
Anne revealed her relief after her “traumatic” health journey(Image: ITV)
She began: “It’s been very traumatic, when I received the letter a few weeks ago, I picked it up, and it said NHS, and I thought, ‘Oh I don’t want to know, I’m not sure if I want to know if it’s bad news.’
“And I put it aside for about ten minutes, and after a while my logical brain kicked in and said, ‘You have to find out, you need to know’.
“I opened it and it was all good news, and I had a bit of a weep at the beginning.
“I feel lucky, blessed, relieved, and then emotional thinking about my sisters having gone through the same thing but not surviving.”
Anne and Linda, who died earlier this year, went through chemotherapy treatment together(Image: ITV)
Anne went on to say she thinks her sister Linda would be “looking down and thinking thank goodness” at her health update.
She recalled receiving her diagnosis just one week before Linda’s, and going through their treatment together during the pandemic.
“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 happy and kept me going, because I had a bad time during my chemo.
“It was great to have her support, and then her cancer spread and she didn’t survive, so when I got my letter to say I was clear of cancer […] I did think about Linda at the time, and Bernie as well.”
The Nolans have faced immense grief over the years, after Bernie’s (top right) death in 2013 and Linda’s earlier this year (bottom left)(Image: Popperfoto via Getty Images)
Her comments come after she spoke of her “guilt” at receiving her news in an interview with The Mirror.
“Although I was absolutely thrilled, I did think about them,” she said.
“I didn’t feel guilty because it’s nothing to do with me but I did feel sad that they weren’t as lucky as I was.
“It’s an emotional thing for me to think about them not surviving and then I did survive. But that’s just the luck of the draw.”
Anne, pictured at Linda’s funeral in February(Image: Getty Images)
She added: “I always consider myself lucky when I look at my two sisters. Linda went through a terrible time and so did Bernie.”
Anne continued by saying she suffered with “anxiety about dying”, which she still deals with today.
The mum-of-two and grandmother-of-three said: “I still have anxiety but it’s not as bad. I have anxieties about dying. It is about the cancer coming back as well. That’s why I didn’t want to open the letter. I don’t want to die, I love being alive. I love being here.”
