Coleen Nolan sends clear message after facing backlash to sister Linda Nolan funeral appearance: ‘Was slated!’
Coleen Nolan, 59, has defended herself against social media criticism she received for smiling at her sister Linda’s funeral, insisting people must “stop judging how others deal with grief”.
The Loose Women presenter addressed the backlash during Monday’s show after trolls attacked her for smiling at the service held in Blackpool earlier this month.
She was laid to rest in a bright pink coffin, with sisters Coleen, Anne, Denise, and Maureen in attendance.
The sisters formed The Nolans, later the Nolan Sisters, in 1975 and became one of the world’s best-selling girl groups.
“We’ve got to stop judging how people deal with grief. And I’ve got to stop caring how people are judging me,” Nolan began on Loose Women.
Explaining the criticism she faced, Nolan said: “I got out of the funeral car smiling because there were about 2,000 people looking and smiling. And I’m getting slated on social media… ‘What’s she smiling about?'”
She revealed the sight of so many mourners initially moved her to tears in the car, saying: “When we turned the corner there was all these people there and it made us cry because Linda would have loved it!
“I didn’t want to get out the car and not acknowledge the crowd,” Nolan explained.
“I saw all those people and it made me cry because Linda would have loved it. And I’m so glad they turned out for her.”
The presenter admitted the criticism initially affected her, saying: “It bothered me at first, but then I thought I’ve got to stop caring what people think.”
She emphasised her smile was “a gratitude thing” towards those who had come to pay their respects.
“We all deal with grief differently,” she added, making a defiant statement to those who had criticised her. “I got out and smiled to show my gratitude.”
Linda had battled cancer for 20 years after first being diagnosed in 2005. Though given the all-clear in 2011, the disease returned in 2017 and had metastasised.
The singer struggled to hold back tears as she discussed her return to work and internal struggle over getting the timing right.
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“It’s just hard. Because there was a time I thought ‘do I go back, is it too soon?'” she shared, her voice breaking with emotion.
“And then I thought ‘you have to’. Because life goes on,” she added.