Linda and Anne Nolan were diagnosed with cancer within an hour of each other

The TV personality opened up about receiving her diagnosis at the same time as her sister

TV & Film Editor

On 4 August 20204 Aug 2020, 10:16 BST

Linda Nolan appeared on Good Morning Britain on Tuesday to discuss the heartbreaking news that she, and her sister, Anne Nolan, have both been diagnosed with cancer. While chatting to Ben Shephard and Kate Garraway, she revealed that she learned of her diagnosis just half an hour after Anne's, and was reluctant to reveal the news.

READ: Linda Nolan opens up about living with cancer: 'I've been lucky, a lot luckier than a lot of people'

Speaking about going through treatment with her sister, she said: "We've both had great treatment from our local hospital... you've heard of the Chemical Brothers, we're now the 'chemo sisters.'"

Linda opened up about being diagnosed with cancer at the same time

The pair were diagnosed back in March, at the height of the lockdown, which she admitted made the situation "a double nightmare". "Usually my family would rush from all directions, and we'd all get together and laugh and chat," she explained. "But all we could do was phone Anne and say we're here and wave through the window. I think Anne has struggled with that because she has two daughters and granddaughters and not being able to hug them."

Linda and Anne with sisters Coleen, Maureen and Bernie, who passed away in 2013

The pair had recently enjoyed starring on a travel show about cruises, and Linda said that the diagnoses were a blow after spending such a wonderful time together. She said: "We all got to know each other again, it was like, 'Why now?' because we were on such a high and there was such a great response to the cruising programme."

READ: Coleen Nolan reacts to sisters Linda and Anne's heartbreaking cancer diagnosis

Kate praised Linda's spirit, saying: "Your positivity is shining through," to which the TV personality replied: "[The doctors] want positivity all the time, they say that helps you as much as what they're doing. We've both had our moments, we're both scared to death, we want to live, it's a scary diagnosis... I'm getting great treatment and I'm going to be living with cancer so I propose to do that for a very long time."

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