Singing star of the 70s Bernie Nolan took time out from the panto season to give inspiration to fellow cancer sufferers.

The former member of the Nolan Sisters and current wicked witch in Beauty and the Beast at Stevenage’s Gordon Craig Theatre invited a group of women undergoing chemotherapy to see the show last week.

She then met up with the Stevenage-based Caring Hair charity group after the performance and shared her own experience of dealing with chemotherapy and hair loss, including her beauty and health tips.

One Stevenage patient said: “What a beautiful lady Bernie is. It was such an inspiration to see her on stage singing her heart out and entertaining us – I laughed so hard my wig nearly fell off. Knowing that she understands exactly what us ladies are going through with our hair loss and illness means a lot to me.”