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Artist News
Girls Aloud’s Sarah Harding dies
By Andy Malt | Published on Monday 6 September 2021
Girls Aloud’s Sarah Harding has died, a year after revealing that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer. She was 39.
In a post shared on Harding’s official Instagram profile yesterday, her mother Marie Hardman said in a statement: “It’s with deep heartbreak that today I’m sharing the news that my beautiful daughter Sarah has sadly passed away”.
“Many of you will know of Sarah’s battle with cancer and that she fought so strongly from her diagnosis until her last day”, she went on. “She slipped away peacefully this morning. I’d like to thank everyone for their kind support over the past year”.
“It meant the world to Sarah”, she added, “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”.
In her own statement, Girls Aloud bandmate Nicole Roberts said: “I’m absolutely devastated and I can’t accept that this day has come. My heart is aching and all day everything we went through together has raced round my mind. Especially this last year since her diagnosis, as hard as the year has been, our new memories are strong in my heart”.
“There are so many things to say and at first it felt too personal to put them here and then I remembered that there are so many other people grieving her too”, she continues. “A part of me or us isn’t here anymore and it’s unthinkable and painful and utterly cruel. Electric girl, you made us. You gave it everything and still with a smile. A white butterfly flew past my window this morning before I knew, it must have been you”.
Nadine Coyle added: “I am absolutely devastated! I can’t think of words that could possibly express how I feel about this girl and what she means to me!”
Harding became a member of Girls Aloud as part of ITV talent show ‘Popstars: The Rivals’ in 2002. She was the final singer to secure a place in the group and had been considered the underdog in the competition up until that point. After the show, the group went on to have 21 top ten singles, including four number ones, between 2002 and 2013 when they disbanded.
Aside from her music career, Harding also worked as a model and had a number of acting roles in films and TV, including in ‘St Trinian’s 2: The Legend Of Fritton’s Gold’, ‘Run For Your Wife’ and ‘Coronation Street’.
Back in the music domain, Harding also recorded a number of solo tracks – largely appearing on the soundtracks of films in which she appeared. Her most recent solo single, ‘Wear It Like A Crown’, was released in March this year.
