Coleen Nolan revealed sister Bernie’s deathbed request during an episode Loose Women while opening up about ‘sobbing her heart out’.
Singer Bernie passed away in July 2013 aged 52 due to breast cancer. She was five years older than her younger sister Coleen. Discussing grief on Tuesday’s (May 16) episode of the ITV lunchtime chat show, Coleen reflected on how it can be difficult to predict when sadness can take hold.
Coleen Nolan on grief for late sister Bernie
Nonetheless, during the segment about ‘scheduling’ mourning earlier this summer, Coleen indicated she had found an unconventional suggestion from Bernie of service to her after her sister died.
‘I want you all to cry a lot for two weeks because I deserve it and then pull yourself together and get on with it.’
Coleen explained: “Bernie said to us: ‘You can cry for two weeks and then get over yourselves and move on.’ She actually said on her deathbed: ‘I want you all to cry a lot for two weeks because I deserve it and then pull yourself together and get on with it.’ It always pulled me through it.”
Remembering Bernie
However, she went on to clarify how Bernie’s request didn’t mean TV personality Coleen hasn’t experienced further sorrow. She noted the memory of her sister can arise at any point – and leave her emotional.
Coleen went on: “A year down the line, I remember sitting at traffic lights and something funny happened on the radio. And my instant thought was: ‘I must text Bernie about that.’ And it hit me again. All of a sudden, I’m sitting at the traffic lights sobbing my heart out. Just for a couple of minutes. But just when you think it’s okay, it hits you again. So it’s really hard to put a time on it.”
Read more: Coleen Nolan makes ‘affair’ confession: ‘It brought lots of heartbreak’
Loose Women airs on ITV, weekdays, at 12.30pm.
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