Linda Nolan has shared some words of wisdom with Kate Middleton after the princess' heartbreaking cancer diagnosis.
In a statement which sent shockwaves around the world, the future Queen of England, 42, revealed she was having preventative chemotherapy following her abdominal surgery in January. Linda, 65, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2005 before it sadly spread to her bone, brains and liver, gave an update on her own health today as she reached out to the Princess of Wales.
Commenting on Kate's video in which the princess tells those struggling with cancer they are not alone, she said: “I thought it was perfect. I’m suffering myself and I listened and I took everything in and she’s so right for someone who has been diagnosed." Sharing her advice with the mum-of-three, Linda added: "Hope - you’ve got to have hope and people around you that love you.”
Telling hosts Susanna Reid and Richard Madeley on Good Morning Britain how her own cancer journey was progressing, Linda revealed some "good news", sharing: “My scan showed that there’s no progression in the disease in my bones and liver, and the tumours in my brain have shrunk a little. That was a day before my birthday. We had a party - either way we were going to have a party. But it was good news, so we really had a party.”
Unfortunately, cancer has been present in the Nolan family as Linda's sisters also suffered from the disease. The Irish star explained, “Our sister Anne and Bernie both had cancer, normally it’s the BRAC gene and if it’s in one, it can be in others. They don’t think we were just unlucky getting cancer, all three of us, they think it’s a rogue gene. But their cancers were different.”
Meghan Markle 'to unleash her own memoirs' as Prince Harry's drops next weekDespite speaking candidly about her health, Linda continues to post uplifting snaps on social media as she makes the most of her life with her famous family, which includes Loose Women star, Coleen Nolan. When asked what advice she would give to family members or friends who perhaps don’t say the right thing after a loved one's diagnosis, Linda said, “I found the first time I lost a few friends in the fact they didn’t know what to say and so they didn’t say anything. It was a real shock because two of them were great friends, we’re alright now. At the time they said, ‘We didn’t know what to say’ and I said, ‘Say that, ‘I don’t know what to say, but I’m here for you.’”
* If you have been affected by this story, advice and support can be found at Macmillan Cancer Support