Maureen Nolan, 69, forced to continue working after she and her singing sisters were ‘scammed’ and lost MILLIONS: ‘We were young and naive’

Maureen Nolan has revealed how she was forced to keep working as she approaches her 70th birthday, despite being part of one of the world’s best-selling girl groups.

The 69-year-old singer, who topped the charts with her sisters in The Nolans in the 1970s, said how the siblings had been ‘scammed’ and lost millions of pounds.

Narrate The mirror: ‘I have to keep working. We thought we would be fine at this point in our lives, but I have no pension, I have no savings and I’m renting a house.’

She explained how her 2016 divorce from ex-husband Ritchie Hoyle also contributed to her financial problems after they sold family and she was unable to get a mortgage to buy her own property.

Between 1979 and 1982, The Nolans had seven international hits, including Attention To Me, Gotta Pull Myself Together and Don’t Make Waves and the now iconic I’m In The Mood For Dancing.

Success: The singer who topped the charts with her sisters in The Nolans in the 1970s said how the siblings had been ‘ripped off’ and lost millions of pounds (pictured in 1975)

They sold over 30 million records, making them one of the biggest girl groups of all time. They become the first Irish act to sell more than 1 million records worldwide

Maureen told the publication: ‘We made millions, well, someone made millions, but not us. I think we got a little ripped off along the way.”

‘We were probably a bit young and naive. We were very happy and we trusted people to take care of our affairs. Looking back, it may be that something went wrong there. Sometimes I think: ‘What happened to that?’.

The sisters formed the group, consisting of Maureen, Anne, Linda, Coleen and Bernie, in 1974 and called themselves the Nolan Sisters before becoming simply The Nolans in 1980.

The group was huge in Japan and they were the first European act to win Tokyo’s Musical Festival in 1981. They sold more than 11 million records in the country better than Beyoncé, Michael Jackson and the Beatles combined and recorded six albums in Japanese.

They also toured with Frank Sinatra in 1975 and were discovered by Joe Lewis, now Spurs owner, who introduced them to Cliff Richard and the sisters became regulars on his TV show in 1974.

In 2009, Coleen, Linda, Maureen and late sister Bernie made a triumphant return to the stage with a show-stopping tour.

In 2021, The Nolans received a Variety Legend of Industry Award for services to recorded music and entertainment. It was accepted by Coleen, Denise, Maureen and Anne – as well as late sister Bernie’s daughter Erin, who was presented with a plaque in memory of her mother.

Sisters: Maureen said, “We made millions, well, someone made millions, but not us. I think we got ripped off a bit along the way’ (LR) Maureen, Coleen, Linda and Bernie in 2011

Incredibly, they sold over 30 million records, making them one of the biggest girl groups of all time. Becomes the first Irish act to sell more than 1 million records worldwide (photo 1970)

Actress: Maureen switched from music to acting, appearing in numerous musicals including Blood Brothers (pictured)

Earlier this month, Sister Linda revealed the sweet gift she received from Elton John as she shared how the legendary musician reached out to her amid her battle with cancer.

The 64-year-old singer was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer in 2005, before being given the all-clear in 2006.

In 2017, she was diagnosed with an incurable secondary cancer in her hip, before it spread to her liver in 2020 and then to her brain earlier this year.

Revealing whether celebrities had ever contacted her during her health battle, the Nolan sister confessed that Elton had sent her flowers and called her an ‘amazing woman’ and ‘very brave’.

She said, “It made my year, let alone my day!”

Speaking to Bella magazine, Linda explained that she met the Rocket Man hitmaker in passing and was shocked when he sent her a huge flower arrangement.

‘It made my year – let alone my day!’: It came after Sister Linda (pictured last month) revealed the sweet gift she received from Elton John as she told how the legendary musician reached out to her amid of her battle with cancer

Kind: I send the flowers with a card and the message reads: ‘Linda, you are an amazing woman, and you are very brave, much love Elton, David and the two boys’ (Elton pictured this month)

When sending the flowers with a card, the message read: ‘Linda, you are a wonderful woman, and you are very brave, much love Elton, David and the two boys’.

Linda explained that her sister Coleen Nolan’s make-up artists had done some work for Elton, and he managed to track down her address through the Loose Women presenter.

She said: ‘It made my year – let alone my day! It affected me because he doesn’t really know me, but he reached out.”

Linda has been incredibly open about her health, hoping it will help others going through the same thing and raise awareness.

Gushing about the support she receives from her family, the star revealed that she lives with her sister Maureen, who helps her around the house.

Still, her sister isn’t afraid to clap back at Linda, as she joked, “I asked her the other day, ‘Is there anything I can do?’ And she said, “Yes, go away!”‘.