Christine Lampard paused an episode of Loose Women to announce the death of former guest panellist and singer Linda Nolan, paying tribute to her and saying it had been an “incredibly tough time for the family, but you’re just never prepared”.
Dublin-born Nolan rose to fame as part of the family group The Nolans, with Loose Women panellist Coleen as well as her other sisters Maureen, Bernie, Denise and Anne.
She died on Wednesday aged 65 in hospital in Blackpool with pneumonia surrounded by family after being twice diagnosed with breast cancer.
She then read out Nolan’s manager’s statement announcing the news, which described her as a “beacon of hope and resilience”.
The audience then applauded, and Lampard added: “We’ve been talking about Linda for so long haven’t we, with Coleen, and I know it was an incredibly tough time for the family, but you’re just never prepared.”
Lampard finished by saying: “To all of the family indeed, we’re thinking of you all today.”
The audience then burst into applause as a black and white picture of Nolan was shown on screen.
Also interrupting their broadcast, was Jeremy Vine who at the end of his BBC Radio 2 show, paid tribute to Nolan, saying him and the station’s team were thinking of her family, and “Linda especially”.
Vine then played The Nolans’ hit I’m In The Mood for Dancing, which made it to number three in the UK charts in 1980.
