Coleen Nolan Shares Heartbreaking Final Message from Sister and Admits to Feelings of Guilt

Coleen Nolan admits she often feels “guilty” after the death of her older sister Bernie. The 59-year-old says she can be out having a good time and laughing with friends when she is suddenly hit by a wave of guilt, feeling as though she has “forgotten” her sister.

Bernie, 52, died from breast cancer in 2013, and Coleen says she thinks about her sister every day, acknowledging that grief is a “natural process” everyone must face. Because she remembers her sister daily, Coleen chooses not to post on social media about her on major anniversaries or birthdays, told Daily Express.

Speaking to Woman’s Own, Coleen said: “Even though my sister Bernie died in 2013, there will be times when I’m really laughing about something and this guilt suddenly hits me, like I’ve forgotten her. Grief is a natural process, and we have to go through it.” Coleen also revealed that Bernie’s death was the reason she stopped touring with The Nolans. She explained that her sister’s passion and role as the lead singer meant she “was The Nolans.”

Loose Women panelist Coleen also recalls her final moments with Bernie and the message she left to her family moments before her death. The family had gathered around Bernie at home in her bedroom and began to sing as she slept.

Coleen explained: “When we started singing she went ‘urgh’ with her hand, and I went ‘cheeky b****,’ she’s still telling us we’re out of tune. We all laughed because it was so her, ‘Shut up, I’m trying to sleep.’” The singer says each family member then had a chance to say their goodbyes to Bernie, describing the moment as “heartbreaking but beautiful.” The Nolan family is no stranger to cancer.

Eldest sister Anne was diagnosed with cancer in 2000, followed by Linda five years later. Anne was diagnosed with breast cancer for a second time in 2020 before being given the all-clear. Linda, however, is living with incurable secondary cancer, which started in the hip but has since spread to her brain and liver.

Coleen herself revealed she had basal cell carcinoma on her shoulder last year. Fortunately, the condition was treatable, and she was given “chemo cream” that “burnt it off.” However, she is set to be treated for a dry patch on her skin that doctors revealed is pre-melanoma, which can become skin cancer if left untreated.