Reader TTS

Tears were shed and smiles were shared as the funeral of Linda Nolan took place at a church in Blackpool today. The 65-year-old died after a battle with secondary breast cancer on Wednesday,

January 15. Linda's family had announced that "everyone was welcome" to attend the star's funeral - and fans responded by lining the streets outside St Paul’s Church to

pay their respects. Loose Women star Coleen Nolan arrived at her sister's funeral wearing a black fur coat with a pink ribbon pinned to her chest. The ITV panellist could be seen wiping

away her tears as she arrived at the church and saw the scale of the turnout. Other members of the Nolan family also opted to wear a pop of pink in honour of Linda, who was diagnosed with

breast cancer in 2005, given the all-clear in 2011, but in 2017 was diagnosed with secondary breast cancer. In 2020 doctors told her the disease had spread, and by 2023 it was in her brain.

The funeral cortege arrived shortly after 10.30am, with floral tributes laid on top of and alongside the glittery pink coffin. Speaking ahead of her sister's funeral, Coleen said the

family had chosen to incorporate bright colours into the ceremony. She said: "She wanted everyone in black wearing mantillas, those little lace veils that cover your face. I remember

saying, 'You are joking, Linda! If I see all my sisters in mantillas, I'm going to laugh the whole way through the funeral. We've decided not to do that, but we are wearing

black. "Her coffin is pure showbiz bright pink and sparkly, just as she wanted. The one thing my sister loved was bling. Her trainers had bling on them, her handbags, her tops, her

walking stick so it feels right that she has a glittery pink coffin." Denise Nolan smiled as she greeted mourners and fellow stars before the service. St Paul’s is the same church where

Linda married her husband Brian Hudson in 1981 and where he was laid to rest after he died in 2007, according to the family. A photo of Linda and Brian on their wedding day was included on

the order of service, above a moving poem which read: "Those we love remain with us, for love itself lives on, and cherished memories never fade when a loved one has gone. Those we love

can never be more than a thought apart, for as long as there is memory they will love on in the heart." These are some of the photos of family members, showbiz friends and fans who all

paid their respects today as Linda was laid to rest.