STRICKEN Linda Nolan was left devastated when the makers of Great British Bake Off’s celebrity specials booked her singing sister Coleen instead, despite her own “genuine, lived experience.”
The singer, part of family pop group The Nolans, this week told how her cancer had spread to her brain.
She has become a passionate campaigner after being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2005, which spread to her hip in 2017 and liver in 2020.
Over the years Linda has asked to be considered for all Stand Up 2 Cancer’s charity specials, including Bake Off, through her agent.
But the 64-year-old has been continually ignored by producers.
'My wife said she'd stop seeing fella at work but I keep catching them at it'
This year, her younger sister Coleen - a regular on ITV’s Loose Women - was booked instead.
A source close to Linda said: “Linda was so happy that Coleen was asked. She and the other sisters encouraged Coleen to do it, as Coleen was hesitant at first.
“But she did feel upset she wasn't asked. Of course Coleen is more well known, but Linda’s well known too and actually has cancer.
“Pretty much every time she’s in an interview, she always gets asked about her cancer - even if the interview itself isn’t even about her cancer - and she’s always happy to answer them.
“But when there’s an opportunity to actually raise money and awareness for a cancer charity, they won’t have her.
“She feels like they don’t want genuine, first hand lived experiences.”
Seventies and Eighties pop group The Nolans sold over 30 million records.
Channel 4’s Bake Off invites a hoard of celebrities into the famous tent for an annual series to raise money for Stand Up 2 Cancer, with the star-spangled version now on its sixth series.
Coleen rubbed shoulders with the likes of David Schwimmer, Gemma Collins and comics including Rose Matafeo and Tom Davis during filming last summer.
Radio DJ Adele Roberts is the only cast member known to have had cancer, and has recently been given the all clear.
'Fiance spent Christmas with his ex-wife and kids again'
A spokesman for Channel 4 said: “Our SU2C programming always includes the experiences of people affected by cancer and we are proud that Stand Up To Cancer has raised more than £93 million to date, funding 64 clinical trials and projects involving more than 13,000 cancer patients.”
It comes after Linda bravely told on Monday how she was "shocked and scared" after being told her cancer has spread to her brain.
She told Good Morning Britain: "It's obviously very frightening because there isn't much out there for brain cancer, apart from radiotherapy.
"But there is a new drug that I'm going to try. I'm not giving up."
Nolan sister Bernie died of breast cancer in 2013 aged 52.
Another sibling, Anne, 72, was diagnosed with it for the second time three years ago, but is now cancer-free.
