Bernadette Therese "Bernie" Nolan (17 October 1960 – 4 July 2013) was an Irish actress, singer and television personality, formerly lead vocalist of The Nolans. Her siblings were Anne, Brian, Denise, Maureen, Tommy, Linda and Coleen Nolan. She was the second youngest. She was raised in Blackpool, Lancashire, England.

Early life and career

Nolan's parents were Tommy, a violent heavy drinker who died of liver cancer aged 73 in 1998, and Maureen Nolan, who died aged 81 of Alzheimer's disease in 2007.

Before the Nolan sisters became household names, she and her sisters, parents and brothers would perform in clubs and pubs in Blackpool. She originally found fame in a pop group which included her five sisters and they had hits such as "I'm in the Mood for Dancing" (their biggest hit), "Don't Make Waves", "Attention to Me" and "Gotta Pull Myself Together". The Nolans sold millions of records worldwide, particularly in Japanwhere they sold over 9 million albums. Nolan also turned her hand to song writing during this time when she wrote two tracks for their 1982 album Portrait.

Acting

She first acted as a cast member on the BBC Saturday morning children's show On the Waterfront. Critics were pleasantly surprised at her gift for comedy. The Nolan sisters and their music were a running gag on the show, and she was joined by her sisters for a musical performance during at least one episode.

She left the group in 1994 to concentrate on her own acting career, which had begun with her 1993 performance in the stage playThe Devil Rides Out.

In 2000 she joined the cast of Channel 4's soap opera Brookside as Diane Murray after being noticed by Paul Marquess whilst starring in the play Blood Brothers. She left in 2002 to play Sheelagh Murphy in ITV's police drama series The Bill. Her character Sheelagh had an affair with Des Taviner; their baby daughter then died and Des, who had killed six fellow officers, was beaten to death in custody. Other storylines included finding out that her son was gay and behind several 'homophobic' attacks. Although Nolan left The Bill in 2005 the door was left open for a return, due to her character's enduring popularity.

In 2006 she took part in Channel 4's series The Games, ranking last in the females category. Her stint on the game was to raise money for charity, including Alzheimer's and children's charities. Her latest theatre role will be in the 2009 Manchester Opera Housepantomime Cinderella, in which she will play the Fairy Godmother.

In 2007, Nolan starred in the play Mum's the Word, and was lined up to star in the Iceland adverts for the summer with her younger sister Coleen. During summer season she appeared at the Blackpool North Pier Theatre in her own production, Soap Queens (And Kings!).

In January and February 2010, Nolan participated in the ITV celebrity reality television programme Popstar to Operastar. She lost to Darius Campbell in the final, having been the favourite to win.

Return to singing

In 2005, Nolan released her debut solo album All By Myself. The album was re-released towards the end of 2006. The album consists mainly of power ballads, including the song Better Place, written by Nolan's husband in memory of their daughter, Kate, who was stillborn in 1997.

Personal life

Nolan has been with drummer Steve Doneathy since 1993, whom she married in 1996, in Lancashire. The couple lived in Surrey. She had a stillborn daughter in 1997, but a second daughter was born in 1999.

She released the single "Macushla" in 2004 with the proceeds going to charity. It peaked at #38 in the UK Singles Chart in March 2004. Regarding this release, Lorraine Kelly wrote: "I wouldn't have expected anything else from one of the hardest working women in showbiz".

It was revealed on 23 April 2010 that Nolan was suffering from breast cancer, which spread to her lymph nodes. In October 2010, she stated that she was cancer-free after having undergone chemotherapy and a mastectomy, and was taking Herceptin. In February 2012, she announced that she was no longer taking cancer treatment drugs, and was completely free of cancer. At the end of October 2012, Bernie announced that the cancer had returned and was incurable. It had metastasised to her brain, lungs, liver and bones. Anne and Linda Nolan suffered from the disease in 2000 and 2006 respectively; both have recovered.

Nolan died from her illness on the morning of 4 July 2013, aged 52.