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Linda Nolan
Born (1959-02-23) 23 February 1959 (age 65)
Dublin, Ireland
Occupation Singer, actress, author, television personality
Years active 1974–present
Television Top of the Pops
Celebrity Big Brother UK
Loose Women
Spouse(s)
Brian Hudson
(m. 1981; died 2007)
Family Anne Nolan (sister)
Denise Nolan (sister)
Maureen Nolan (sister)
Bernie Nolan (sister)
Coleen Nolan (sister)
Jake Roche (nephew)

Linda Nolan (born 23 February 1959) is an Irish singer, actress and television personality. After moving with her family to Blackpool at the age of three in 1962, she attained fame as a member of the girl group The Nolans in 1974, along with her sisters Anne, Denise, Maureen, Bernie and Coleen. As a member of the Nolans, Linda toured with Frank Sinatra in 1975, won the Tokyo Music Festival in 1981, and had seven UK top 20 hits between 1979 and 1982.

Soon after leaving the group, Linda Nolan supported Gene Pitney on his 1984 UK tour. She then went on to perform in theatre, including an eight-season residency as Maggie May on Blackpool's Central Pier (1986–93), where she clocked up over 1,000 performances, followed by two seasons as Rosie O'Grady on Blackpool's South Pier (1994–95). She reunited with the Nolans for the 2009 I'm in the Mood Again album and tour, and in 2014, she took part in the 13th series of Celebrity Big Brother. In 2018, she was a recurring guest panellist on Loose Women.

Early life

Linda Nolan was born in Holles Street Hospital in Dublin, Ireland, to Tommy and Maureen Nolan. The family lived in Raheny, a suburb of Dublin. They lived there until she was three before moving to Blackpool in 1962, at which point Tommy and Maureen formed the Singing Nolans of which Nolan was a member. She went to school at Blackpool's St Catherine's Catholic Secondary School, and also attended The Cardinal Wiseman School in Greenford, West London.

Career

Singing career

In 1981, Linda scored a minor hit with her sister Coleen as part of the Young & Moody Band, with "Don't Do That" (UK No. 63) which also featured Lemmy from Motörhead and Cozy Powell.

..... The Nolans reunited as a five-piece (Bernie, Anne, Coleen, Maureen and Linda) for one-off performances of "I'm in the Mood for Dancing" first for BBC One's All Time Greatest Party Songs, hosted by Tess Daly, which aired on 17 December 2005 and again on 9 August 2007 on Loose Women.

Four of the sisters (Linda, Bernie, Coleen & Maureen) reunited in 2009 for a successful tour of the UK and Ireland. They also released an album I'm in the Mood Again, which reached No. 22 on the UK Albums Chart.

Musicals

On leaving the group, Linda Nolan went on to play the role of Maggie May at Blackpool's Central Pier for eight summer seasons (1986–93), clocking up more than 1,000 performances. She then starred for two seasons in a similar show on Blackpool's South Pier called Rosie O' Grady's (1994–95).

From 1996 to 1997, she starred as the prison governor in two UK tours of Prisoner: Cell Block H – The Musical, alongside Paul O'Grady.

From 2000, Linda Nolan starred as Mrs Johnstone in Blood Brothers for three years in the West End, and regularly played the role in the UK touring production until 2008. She was the third Nolan sister to play the role, after Bernie and Denise. Maureen Nolan has also since played the role in the West End on the UK tour for several years, earning the sisters a place in the Guinness World Records, as the most siblings to play the same role in a musical.

Other

Linda Nolan has also appeared on Blankety Blank, with sister Anne and niece Alex on Celebrity Pressure Pad and with sister Bernie on Pointless Celebrities.

Celebrity Big Brother

In January 2014, Linda Nolan participated in the thirteenth series of Celebrity Big Brother. Prior to this, her sister Coleen had participated in and achieved second place in the tenth series.

.....

Jim Davidson, who was also a contestant in the house that year has history with Linda Nolan; in 1995, Nolan's husband Brian Hudson was caught red-handed stealing money from comic Frank Carson's dressing room at the South Pier Theatre Blackpool. This raised the ire of Davidson, who was playing up the road at the time and promptly lost his temper, yelling "no one steals from my mates" and threatened to punch him. Davidson was promptly thrown out of that nightclub. On Day 15, Nolan was reminded by Davidson of his antics, prompting an argument. She was evicted on Day 22.

Personal life

Nolan met Brian Hudson in 1979 and they married in 1981. He was the Nolans' tour manager until 1983 and became Linda's manager after she left the group. They were married for 26 years until his death on 21 September 2007, from liver failure.

.....

Health

In 2006, Linda Nolan was diagnosed with breast cancer. As part of her treatment, she underwent a single mastectomy. She was given the all-clear from cancer in 2011. In 2007, she was diagnosed with cellulitis and lymphedema in her arm.

In 2017, Nolan fell on her hip and was taken to hospital, where doctors discovered a form of incurable secondary breast cancer on her pelvis. She began undergoing regular radiotherapy treatment to make sure that the cancer would not spread, but has said that she would reject chemotherapy if the cancer was found to be terminal, after seeing how her sister Bernie was in pain from her chemotherapy shortly before Bernie's death in 2013. On 27 March 2023, Linda stated that the cancer had now metastasised to her brain, with a tumour discovered on the left side of her brain, resulting in balance loss on her right side, which has led to her using a wheelchair. She was prescribed the experimental drug Tucatinib to treat her brain cancer.

Discography

Studio albums

Year Title Details
1972 The Singing Nolans
  • Released: June 1972
  • Label: Nevis
  • Formats: LP
1975 The Nolan Sisters
  • Released: 1975
  • Label: Hanover Grand
  • Formats: LP
1978 20 Giant Hits
  • Released: 7 July 1978
  • Label: Target
  • Formats: LP, MC
  • Released in Japan in February 1981
1979 Nolan Sisters
  • Released: 19 November 1979
  • Label: Epic
  • Formats: LP, MC
  • Released in Japan as Dancing Sisters
1980 Making Waves
  • Released: 17 October 1980
  • Label: Epic
  • Formats: LP, MC
1982 Portrait
  • Released: 19 March 1982
  • Label: Epic
  • Formats: CD, LP, MC
  • Released in Japan in December 1981 as Don't Love Me Too Hard
2009 I'm in the Mood Again
  • Released: 28 September 2009
  • Label: Universal
  • Formats: CD

EPs and mini-albums

Title Details Year
The Singing Nolans (Silent Night)
  • Released: December 1972
  • Label: Nevis
  • Formats: 7" EP
1972
Dancing Sisters
  • Released: 21 July 1980
  • Label: Epic
  • Format: 10" mini-album
  • Japan-only release
1980
Greatest Original Hits – 4 Track E.P.
  • Released: March 1983
  • Label: Epic
  • Formats: 7" EP
1983

Singles

Single Year
"Blackpool" (as the Singing Nolans) 1972
"But I Do" (as the Nolan Sisters) 1974
"(Won't You) Make a Little Sunshine Shine" (as Nolan Sisters) 1975
"Rain" (as the Nolan Sisters) 1976
"Thanks for Calling" (as Nolan Sisters)
"When You Are a King" (as the Nolan Sisters)
"Love Transformation" (as Nolan Sisters) 1977
"Love Bandit" (as Nolan Sisters)
"Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue" (as the Nolan Sisters) 1978
"Harry My Honolulu Lover" (as Nolan Sisters) 1979
"Spirit, Body and Soul" (as Nolan Sisters)
"I'm in the Mood for Dancing"
"Don't Make Waves" 1980
"Gotta Pull Myself Together"
"Who's Gonna Rock You"
"I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing" (Japan-only release) 1981
"Attention to Me"
"... Music" (Japan-only release)
"Chemistry"
"Don't Love Me Too Hard"
"Crashing Down" 1982
"Dragonfly"
"Dressed to Kill" 1983

Filmography

Television
Year Title Role Notes
1974 It's Cliff Richard! Performer Series regular
1979 Mike Yarwood In Persons Performer Series regular
1979–82 Top of the Pops Performer 15 episodes
1984–89 Blankety Blank Panellist 7 episodes
1999 Never Mind the Buzzcocks Mystery guest 1 episode
2003 We Are Family Contributor Documentary
2004 Saturday Night Takeaway Herself 1 episode
2005 All Time Greatest Party Songs Performer 1 episode
2009 The Paul O'Grady Show Performer 1 episode
2009 The Nolans: In the Mood For Dancing Herself Documentary
2009 The Late Late Show Performer 1 episode
2011 Come Dine With Me Participant 5 episodes
2010–12 The One Show Reporter 3 episodes
2012–14 Big Brother's Bit on the Side Panellist 13 episodes
2014 Celebrity Big Brother Participant 24 episodes
Most Shocking Celebrity Moments Contributor Documentary
2016 The Seven O'Clock Show Guest 1 episodes
2018 The Wright Stuff Panellist 2 episodes
2006–18 Lorraine Guest 7 episodes
2007, 2018 Loose Women Guest/Performer/Panellist 20 episodes
2018–19 Jeremy Vine Panellist 3 episodes

Selected theatre

Year Title Role Notes
1986–93 Maggie May's Title role Central Pier, Blackpool
1994–95 Rosie O'Grady's Title role South Pier, Blackpool
1996–97 Prisoner Cell Block H: The Musical Prison Governor UK tour
2000–08 Blood Brothers Mrs. Johnstone West End (2000–03) / UK tour (2003–08)
2015–16 Menopause The Musical The Soap Star Irish & UK tours
2016 Rumpy Pumpy! Madame Holly Spencer Union Theatre, London
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