'We want to do our sisters proud' - Nolans

Denise, Maureen and Anne Nolan said they hoped to "do their sisters proud"

Three members of the family pop group The Nolans will reunite on stage later for the first time since their sister Linda died in January.

Maureen, Denise and Anne will be performing at Sheffield's City Hall with a string of other stars in a special one-off gig to raise money for Weston Park Cancer Charity.

Ahead of the show the BBC met the trio, who have not performed together since 1978, in their hometown of Blackpool where they have been "rehearsing to within an inch of their lives".

Denise, 73, said: "It's not going to be like when we were all in our twenties, I'm afraid, but we'll do our very best - vocally, we're still strong."

The Nolan Sisters formed in 1974 and went on to sell more than 30m records

Formed in 1974, The Nolan Sisters, later The Nolans, were six Anglo-Irish sisters who became one of the best-selling girl groups of all time.

The line-up of siblings has alternated over the years and they disbanded in 2005, but over the past five decades they have sold more than 30million records worldwide, including hits like I'm in the Mood for Dancing.

However, this will be Denise's very first time performing the song, as she left the band before it was released in 1979.

Between them the sisters have starred in West End musical Blood Brothers - they have a Guinness World Record for the most siblings to play the same role in a musical - TV shows including The Nolans Go Cruising and Celebrity Big Brother and the youngest sister, Coleen, 60, is a Loose Women stalwart.

But the family has also been blighted by cancer.

Bernie, the lead vocalist on I'm in the Mood for Dancing, died from metastatic breast cancer in 2013 aged 52, and, in January, Linda died of double pneumonia aged 65, after her incurable secondary breast cancer spread to her brain.

Anne, 74, has also had cancer twice and their brother, Brian, was recently diagnosed with prostate cancer.

Linda Nolan died in January 2025 after being diagnosed with cancer 20 years ago

So the Sheffield show, called Simply the Best and organised by the city's Croke family in memory of their wife and mother Bev Croke, will be a challenge for Denise, Maureen and Anne.

"Everything is difficult when someone goes, everything is a memory," Denise said.

"But I think professionalism takes over. I did Linda's eulogy when she passed away and of course right up to the moment you think, 'am I going to break down?'.

"But you get up there and it's like you're speaking to somebody else, you're doing your job and that kicks in and you know you want to make someone proud."

The show, the fifth and final fundraiser of its kind, will also feature Layton Williams, Dr Ranj, Strictly's Janette Manrara, Hayley Tamaddon, Sam Bailey, Zoe Tyler and Rustie Lee, with all proceeds supporting families affected by cancer across the region.

It is co-produced by Bev's daughter, Rachel, and son, The Voice UK and Aladdin star Matthew Croke.

Matthew, 39, said: "We're so proud of the show and it's an honour to have the Nolans there - and we have a couple of exclusives too.

"It's the first ever line-up of two of their songs."

Bev Croke, who died in 2021 from breast cancer, sang in the Sheffield Cancer Choir and loved watching her children perform - especially at Sheffield City Hall.

Anne said: "When we were asked to do it we were absolutely thrilled because cancer has affected our family as well."

The Nolan Sisters, who were especially big in Japan, have performed all over the world, but they say Sheffield is in a way a homecoming for them.

Their parents, Dubliners Tommy and Maureen, were both musical and moved to Blackpool in 1962 where they launched their family singing group, The Singing Nolans.

The family toured the country and performed at various venues including Sheffield's working men's clubs and Fiesta night club on Arundel Gate, where the Odeon Cinema is now.

Anne said: "We love Sheffield. Years ago we used to do the massive, big nightclub, it was fantastic.

"We were so well known there and when Coleen was only a toddler we had a big family act.

"We begged to join our parent's acts...I was nine, Denise was 11 and Anne was 12 and we said please, please can we go with you as a treat."

Bernie, Maureen, Coleen and Linda Nolan pictured in 2009

The sisters said their youngest sister Coleen was "absolutely gutted" she was unable to join them on stage due work commitments.

Denise said: "She's taken some flack, which is totally undeserved, because she would have loved to have done it - because we're doing it in honour of Bernie and Linda."

The Nolan sisters now have a gaggle of children and grandchildren between them - and every one of them can sing, they said.

"We should create a mega group - a Nolan convention", joked Maureen.

"It would be more amazing if they couldn't sing, really... and when Coleen was born, it wasn't 'is it a boy or a girl?'... it was we hope she can sing."

The sisters doubt they will tour again so the City Hall concert is a "big deal" for them.

"I haven't danced since 1978", said Denise.

"But we just want to do a good job for our sisters".

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