Why Loose Women were BANNED from Linda Nolan’s funeral amid ‘toxic feuds’ and bitter backstage fallouts
LINDA Nolan planned her own funeral to make sure her send-off was everything she could have ever wanted – and, knowing her, she would have made her wishes extremely clear.
So it was no surprise to me when there weren’t any Loose Women stars in attendance – not even her sister Coleen’s best friends Ruth Langsford and Brenda Edwards.
Having first met Linda through showbiz circles years ago, I knew she wore her heart on her sleeve and was fiercely loyal; always looking for the positives, despite living with incurable cancer.
However, I can reveal that before Linda tragically died from pneumonia in January, aged 65, she had sensationally BANNED anyone from Loose Women coming to her funeral following an unresolved seven-year feud.
The explosive revelation comes as rumours circulate of ongoing and growing tension behind the scenes between the women working on the panel show.
Beloved pop icon Linda had frequently confided to friends how the show’s on-air sisterhood act was very different to what goes on, following her experience in the aftermath of the infamous Kim Woodburn row.
Linda had also publicly claimed she was “ghosted” by Loose Women after being on the panel when Celebrity Big Brother rivals Kim Woodburn and Coleen Nolan furiously clashed, sparking 8,000 Ofcom complaints and causing huge drama off-screen.
One source close to Linda told me: “Linda couldn’t forgive the Loose Women over what happened.
“She purposely chose to ban everyone who worked on the show from attending her funeral – she had planned her own service prior to her death and she made it very clear she didn’t want them there.”
Linda’s is just one example of the rumoured “toxicity” on the daytime show, which scooped a Royal Television Society award last month for Best Daytime Show.
Judges praised it as “highly informative, sensitively produced” and showing “real respect for its audience”.
However, in 2018, Loose Women came under fire when feuding Celebrity Big Brother stars Kim and Coleen were reunited live on air and had a spectacular fallout.
It ended with Kim storming off the set in tears after accusing Coleen of bullying her – and Linda was left consoling her sister.
The sisters told friends they were completely “blindsided” by the on-air attack.
Loose Women was cleared following an investigation by Ofcom, but Linda was left heartbroken about how Coleen was treated on the show.
Devastated Coleen had no option but to quit Loose Women and her solo tour following the “horrifying torrent of abuse” she received in the aftermath.
It was a temporary hiatus – and wasn’t the first time she had walked away from the daytime show, admitting she quit four years earlier because co-stars “weren’t being nice“.
“Unsurprisingly, the Kim Woodburn episode was the last time Linda was ever on Loose Women,” our insider says.
“During the argument, Linda defended her sister because regardless of sides, you’ll always back your sister.
“After the backlash over the episode, Linda was ghosted by Loose Women.
“She wasn’t informed that she wouldn’t be brought back, just complete silence.”
Confirming her feud with Loose Women in 2023, Linda told Woman Magazine: “I’ve had a bit of a falling out with them.
“I didn’t get a phone call from anyone to apologise and I just thought ‘I don’t want to be treated like that’. We were set up.
“I’m over it now, but I was sad to be treated like that.”
Linda never returned to Loose Women after her 2018 appearance, which was a huge loss for fans.
After two years of silence from the daytime show following the Kim fallout, she was finally approached about going back on the show, but refused.
She instead chose to appear on ITV’s rival show, Good Morning Britain when she very sadly revealed her cancer had spread to her brain.
“It was well-known that the Loose Women producers were very aware of what they were doing when they brought Kim and Coleen together after their time on Big Brother,” our source added.
“They wanted fireworks, headlines and the ratings that came with it.
“Then two years later, in 2020, they wanted her back on to be interviewed about her cancer returning.
“Linda’s manager emailed ITV telling them she would return to the show if she was given an apology, but that never happened, so she flat out refused to go back on.”
Coleen and Linda’s remaining siblings attended her funeral alongside Coleen’s ex husband Shane Richie, comedian Tommy Cannon, kids TV legend Paul Chuckle, 911’s Lee Brennan and singer Lisa Maffia.
Coleen previously joked about Linda having a banned list of funeral attendees, telling the Mirror: “Linda wants everyone in black, weeping and wailing.
“Linda will probably have a list of people she doesn’t want at her funeral – there are a lot of people Linda doesn’t like!”
Linda’s rep declined to comment.