CELEBRATING HER MILESTONE 65TH BIRTHDAY LINDA NOLAN

ON LIVING WITH CANCER, LOOKING FOR LOVE AND WHY FAMILY COMES FIRST

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Her blue eyes twinkling as she strikes a pose mood to celebrate as HELLO! joins her for our exclusive interview and photoshoot.

The star has just toasted her 65th birthday - a milestone that, at times, she thought she might never reach.

"I'm 65! It's unbelievable," says Linda, who remains radiant and upbeat despite living with incurable but treatable cancer.

And the best gift of all was receiving the good news last week that the cancer in her brain has not spread.

"On my 60th birthday, my wish was that I could make it to one more birthday. I said to one of my sisters the other day: 'Oh my God it's been five years since then." If anyone understands the importance of not taking such occasions for granted, it's Linda.

"People have been asking me what's on my bucket list. Meeting George Clooney would be nice," quips the star, adding with a glint in her eye that she's keen to find love again, after being married to her late husband Brian for 26 years.

"If a George Clooney lookalike came along, it would be hard to resist, but if he had the personality of a mouse, I wouldn't be interested," she says. "There has to be humour and romance.

Not too much to ask for, is it?" BIRTHDAY BASH As well as joining us for today's shoot at the five-star Boulevard Hotel in Blackpool, Linda has been celebrating her birthday with her close-knit family, which includes her beloved sisters Coleen, Maureen, Anne and Denise, with whom she skyrocketed to fame in the 1970s as part of the award-winning group The Nolans.

They count the international hit I'm in the Mood for Dancing and tracks including Attention to Me and Gotta Pull Myself Together among their back catalogue, and have sold more than 30 million records worldwide, making them one of the most successful girl groups of all time.