Loose Women panellist Coleen Nolan has revealed her older sister Linda has secondary cancer
Coleen Nolan revealed last week that she would be taking some time off from her role on the Loose Women panel.
And although it was announced that this was to fix her marriage problems and escape social media trolls, the TV star has today revealed that there is another, sadder reason for her absence.
Coleen announced on the show that her older sister, Linda, has recently been diagnosed with "incurable" secondary cancer.
After suffering from breast cancer in 2006, she lost her husband Brian Hudson to skin cancer only a year later in 2007.
In a cruel twist of fate, Coleen and Linda's sister Bernie also passed away from cancer in 2013.
Coleen announced the news on Loose Women earlier today, saying: "This is so hard. It's difficult to know where to start... They found secondary cancer in Linda."
Linda, who has been clear from cancer for six years, was given the diagnosis less than three weeks ago after being taken to hospital following a fall on the stairs which resulted in a broken hip.
Coleen went on: "They found a cyst attached to where the break was and it was earth-shattering for us initially. She's incredible."
She added: "She didn't want anyone to know. We all had to get our heads round it and she's not ready to talk about it yet.
"She's had to cancel all her future work for now. Her whole life had turned around - she'd had her great face lift, turned a corner from losing her husband... Obviously had to cancel the work.
"She saw the speculation about why I was off, which wasn't true – she didn't want people to start speculating about her. I didn't want to lie to any of you. I wouldn't be able to hold it together."
Coleen opened up about her own emotions: "I went through such terrible anger, I was angry at the world, angry at cancer, angry for her. I just thought it's so unfair, she's just got it all together, it's taken her ten years to finally get her life back and then it goes whack here you go, now face this."
Coleen described how Linda had given her blessing for her to talk about it on the show today, saying: "She wanted me to talk about it today. The positive thing is, although they've said it's not curable, it's treatable and it's not spread anywhere else.
"That's the positive attitude she wants me to get across. Obviously it's going to be compared to Bernie, when Bernie died, had the cancer."
Talking about their sister Bernie, Coleen said: "Bernie's death was in Linda's mind when they first said it. But it was a completely different cancer and Bernie's had spread - Linda's hasn't.
"Like Bernie, Linda's so strong. She's had her down days, don't get me wrong, but she's being really positive. As much as I'm crying now and shaking, we've also had moments of hilarity. We have to laugh."
Coleen told the panel how Linda wanted everyone to know that she's "not dying of cancer she's living with cancer. They've said it is treatable, they haven't once said to her, 'You're dying, you've got six months to live'.
"What they've said is, 'No it's not curable, it's in that one area and we can treat it forever'. She could have years. We have to focus on that."
She added that her family were coming together: "We'll all fight as a family and we'll all be there for her.
"I think the thing that broke my heart was that Linda sent a text to the whole family, and at the end of it she put, 'I'm so sorry, I feel so guilty to put you all through this again'.
"She feels sorry for us, for putting us through it. But she's not. We'll all go through it together."
This will come as an even bigger shock to viewers, as Linda appeared on the show seemingly healthy and happy only one month ago to reveal her brand new facelift.
Linda unveiled her new look live on TV to her sister for the first time, who was blindfolded until the big reveal.
Coleen was over the moon for her sister, and said she "looked wonderful", to which Linda jokingly replied: "I'm definitely the younger sister now!"
We wish Linda all the best.
Have you or a loved one ever had secondary cancer? Let us know over on Facebook and Twitter.
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