With the Nolan family still reeling from the loss of Linda, their ‘cancer curse’ has cruelly returned. But Brian Nolan tells us he is filled with hope, with the siblings ‘all in it together’

Brian Nolan speaks to The Mirror about his cancer diagnosis

As Brian Nolan stood at his sister Linda’s graveside, tearfully saying farewell to the sibling he adored, he was keeping a potentially deadly secret of his own.

Planning the perfect memorial for Linda, who died from cancer in January following a 20-year fight, was especially tough as just three days later Brian, 69, had his own diagnosis of level 2 prostate cancer confirmed.

Cancer has dogged the Nolan family, who lost Bernie to breast cancer in 2013 aged 52, before Linda, 65, earlier this year. Anne, 74, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2000 and Coleen, 60, learned she had skin cancer in 2023.

“I just want cancer to leave us alone,” says Brian, the fifth of the eight Nolan siblings.

Brian bravely kept his cancer fears a secret to avoid heaping more anguish upon his siblings(Image: Andy Commins / Daily Mirror)

He adds: “You’re never ready for somebody to say: ‘Yes, you’ve got cancer’. It’s like being hit by a train. You start plunging into the abyss of: ‘I’m going to die’. The urologist stood up and said ‘We’re going to treat this and we’re going to cure this’. I’m focusing on that and hope to God I can have the courage my sisters had.”

His news was a huge shock for Mirror advice columnist and Loose Women panellist Coleen.

“I couldn’t speak,” she says, describing the moment she found out. “I went completely numb and about an hour later I wanted to punch walls and scream. In our family, cancer’s just there. But he was so positive and I’m just so proud of him.

“We’re a family that treat everything with as much humour as possible and we go ‘OK, we can face this together.’ That’s what we’ll do.”

Five of the eight siblings, pictured with their mother Maureen in white and aunty Teresa in a black and white blouse, have now been affected by cancer(Image: Daily Mirror)

Brian, who worked behind the scenes supporting the Nolan Sisters band, has had a tough few weeks, with his diagnosis and the pain of losing Linda affecting his sleep.

He will soon have surgery to remove his prostate gland, but has thankfully been told his cancer has not spread.

Speaking from his home of 25 years in Blackpool, he says: “I had a bad moment yesterday just driving the car. I had a terrible moment about Linda. Linda and Bernie were forces of nature. Even when Linda was on her Zimmer frame she was still feisty. To lose people like that is really difficult.”

In November, Brian realised he was going to the loo more often than usual and saw his doctor.

He had PSA tests done – blood tests to screen for prostate cancer – which led to an MRI scan just after Christmas and a biopsy in the New Year.

Brian acted as a pallbearer at Linda’s funeral, carrying her glittering pink coffin into the church(Image: Getty Images)

Supported by his “rock” of a wife, Ann, Brian decided to keep quiet about his cancer fears to protect his siblings, who were already devastated by Linda’s deteriorating condition.

She was put on end-of-life care in January and died on January 15. Brian says: “I thought I was doing the right thing and I still do. It would have meant more tears and we were already knee-deep in tears and knee-deep in grief.”

On the day of Linda’s funeral, fans lined the streets in the Nolans’ adopted home town of Blackpool and a host of stars were there to see the singer’s glittering pink coffin carried into St Paul’s church in Blackpool, including former EastEnders actor Shane Ritchie, 61, comedian Paul Chuckle, 77, and Corrie and West End actress Jodie Prenger, 45.

It was the same church where Linda had exchanged vows with her late husband Brian Hudson, the band’s former tour manager, in 1981. Brian, who had skin cancer, died in 2007.

Her brother says: “The day was so hard but it went as well as can be expected. Everything she wanted, she got. There were too many people at the wake, we only catered for about 260 and there were 400 but it was great. She wanted a send-off like that.”

Devoted Brian spent 28 hours at Linda’s bedside in her final days, becoming so tired he started hallucinating.

He says: “There were about 20 of us in there. We broke all the rules as we always do and the staff were just extraordinary. She went with everyone she loved around her, just peaceful.” With the funeral planning done, Brian’s next difficult task was telling his siblings he also has cancer. He says: “They were devastated but they were great. We’re all in it together.”

The Nolans sold more than 30 million records and were one of the world’s biggest selling girl groups(Image: TV Times via Getty Images)

Brian has chosen to speak out about his diagnosis in order to raise awareness of prostate cancer. BBC News presenter Bill Turnbull, 66, rock singer Alvin Stardust, 72, and comedian Bob Monkhouse, 75, all died after being diagnosed with the disease. He says: “My consultant said people are dying through a lack of knowledge, through not doing anything about it.

“I’m going to push for a campaign to send guys a letter once a year to tell them to have a PSA test. What has happened to me has made me philosophical in a short time and angry really because I didn’t really know anything about prostates and I’m 69 years of age. The symptoms are very well hidden and they’re slow-growing tumours.”

According to the NHS website, symptoms include needing to pee more often, straining or feeling a sudden urge and seeing blood. Coleen could not be prouder of Brian, saying: “He’s my big brother, I love him very much.” Now the remaining Nolans could be about to finally understand why so many of them have had cancer.

Brian and Coleen and siblings Tommy, 75, Denise, 72, and Maureen, 70, have been referred to a genetic clinic in Manchester for testing. Brian says: “At the start of the whole process they ask you if there’s any history within the family. We said: ‘Have you got an hour?’

The 69-year-old former tour manager said his wife Ann had been his ‘rock’(Image: Andy Commins / Daily Mirror)

“Both sides there were generations of cancer. We had to write them all out. I’m shocked really, especially when cancer wasn’t the prime source of a lot of the deaths.

“My dad died of systemic cirrhosis but he also had liver cancer. My uncle died of pancreatic cancer. Funnily enough, they now believe that four of these types of cancer may be connected in some way. We either have breast cancer, prostate cancer, liver cancer or pancreatic cancer. They definitely think it’s hereditary. They can’t seem to find that magic bullet.”

The sisters he has lost to this disease are always in his thoughts. “They’re not gone, they’re everywhere,” he says. “People like that can’t be gone. You keep them alive and remember the positive things.

Inspiring Linda helped raise £20 million for charities including Breast Cancer Now in her lifetime, living with the disease for two decades (Image: Alex Cousins / SWNS)

“They’re all in the same cemetery, so we get to see my wife and Ann’s son.” Mum-of-three Ann’s lad died from an epileptic seizure when he was 15. “Bernie’s got a headstone up there and the funeral director has managed to get a plot for Linda next to Bernie,” Brian adds.

Linda spent many afternoons in a cafe in the seaside town’s Stanley Park, where a table is still reserved for the monthly Peach Melba Club, named in honour of her favourite dessert.

Her sister Anne and sister-in-law Ann are both regular attendees and the Linda Peach Melba can be requested over the counter, served Linda-style with soft ice cream. Brian says: “I’d like to think I would have even half of Linda’s courage if this went haywire.

“I never heard her whinge, I never heard Bernie whinge either. They had extraordinary hope and positivity.”

For help and information about prostate cancer visit nhs.uk, prostatecanceruk.org and cancerresearchuk.org