Girls Aloud was a quintessential pop band in the early-2000s. First discovered in 2002 on the British talent competition Popstars: The Rivals, the band was composed of singers Cheryl Cole, Nadine Coyle, Sarah Harding, Nicola Roberts, and Kimberley Walsh. Girls Aloud’s popular singles included Sound of the Underground, No Good Advice, and a cover of The Pretenders’ I’ll Stand By You.
The group continued to thrive until 2013 when they announced their breakup. The singers went their separate ways, continuing to stay in the limelight and further their performance careers.
Singer Sarah Harding decided to venture into the world of acting following the band’s split. She appeared in the comedy film Run for Your Wife before making celebrity appearances on The Voice of Ireland, Celebrity Masterchef, and Big Brother. Fans were devastated in August 2020, when Harding shared that she had been diagnosed with cancer.
Harding’s cancer battle
Back in August 2020, Harding apologized on Instagram for her sudden absence. She wrote, “I feel now is the right time to share what’s been going on. There’s no easy way to say this and actually it doesn’t even feel real writing this, but here goes.”
Continuing, Harding added, “Earlier this year I was diagnosed with breast cancer and a couple of weeks ago I received the devastating news that the cancer has advanced to other parts of my body. I’m currently undergoing weekly chemotherapy sessions and I am fighting as hard as I possibly can.”
The signer went on to say that she was “fighting” as hard as she could to beat the disease.
As time passed, the 39-year-old released a memoir and a hit single. However, she was also advised by doctors that she wouldn’t live to see another Christmas. Unfortunately, that prognosis was true as it was revealed on September 5, 2021 that the singer had passed.
Harding’s mother posted the heartbreaking news on the singer’s Instagram account. Her statement read: “It’s with deep heartbreak that today I’m sharing the news that my beautiful daughter Sarah has sadly passed away.”
“I’d like to thank everyone for their kind support over the past year. It meant the world to Sarah and it gave her great strength and comfort to know she was loved. I know she won’t want to be remembered for her fight against this terrible disease – she was a bright shining star and I hope that’s how she can be remembered instead,” the statement concluded.
Nadine Coyle mourns Harding
Harding’s Girls Aloud bandmate Nadine Coyle shared her sentiments, writing, “I am absolutely devastated!! I can’t think of words that could possibly express how I feel about this girl & what she means to me!!”
The 36-year-old singer continued, “I know so many of you will be feeling this way. For now I’m sending so much love to you!!!” Along with the caption, she shared a recent picture of Harding.
Fans expressed similar thoughts, making plans to come together and stream old Girls Aloud songs in memoriam of the late singer. These fans are hoping that their collective streams will bring some of the band’s singles back to the top-charting slots.
One fan tweeted, “If you do anything today, stream #SarahHarding song Wear It Like A Crown on iTunes – it meant a lot to her and the profit from the song goes to a cause close to her beautiful heart, thank you in advance.”
Others are encouraging fans to stream the Girls Aloud cover of I’ll Stand By You.
Girls Aloud’s music is available for streaming on all major music platforms.