As Girls Aloud show airs on what would have been Sarah Harding's 43rd birthday, a look at her book and legacy

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Cheryl, Nadine Coyle, Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh recently sat down with Ben Shephard to promote The Girls Aloud Show: Live at The O2, London. 

In the interview with Ben Shephard, Cheryl said that : “We were really conscious the whole time of making sure it wasn't too sad because she [Sarah Harding] wasn't a sad character, she was the bubbliest one of us all. We wanted to keep her spirit amongst it as well as representing her and having her there throughout the show, but not in a sad way. The situation is sad enough.”

Cheryl has not only to contend with losing  her friend and band member Sarah Harding to breast cancer on September 5, 2021, but she is still coming to terms with the tragic death of her former partner Liam Payne, who is the father of her son, Bear. The Girls Aloud interview took place on October 8 a week before Cheryl’s ex-partner Liam Payne tragically died on October 16. 

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What happened to Sarah Harding?

In August 2020, Sarah Harding revealed that her breast cancer had spread to other parts of her body. On September 5, 2021, her mother Marie announced the news that her daughter had passed away on Instagram and referred to her ‘beautiful’ daughter as a “bright, shining star.”

Next to a black and white photograph of her daughter, Marie wrote: "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 slipped away peacefully this morning.

As Girls Aloud show airs on what would have been Sarah Harding's 43rd birthday, a look at her life and legacy,   Cheryl Cole, Nadine Coyle, Nicola Roberts, Kimberley Walsh and Sarah Harding of Girls Aloud perform live on the V stage during Day Two of V Festival 2008 at Hylands Park on August 17, 2008 in Chelmsford. Picture: Getty ImagesAs Girls Aloud show airs on what would have been Sarah Harding's 43rd birthday, a look at her life and legacy,   Cheryl Cole, Nadine Coyle, Nicola Roberts, Kimberley Walsh and Sarah Harding of Girls Aloud perform live on the V stage during Day Two of V Festival 2008 at Hylands Park on August 17, 2008 in Chelmsford. Picture: Getty Images
As Girls Aloud show airs on what would have been Sarah Harding's 43rd birthday, a look at her life and legacy, Cheryl Cole, Nadine Coyle, Nicola Roberts, Kimberley Walsh and Sarah Harding of Girls Aloud perform live on the V stage during Day Two of V Festival 2008 at Hylands Park on August 17, 2008 in Chelmsford. Picture: Getty Images | Getty Images

"I'd like to thank everyone for their kind support over the past year.

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"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."

What’s the Sarah Harding legacy?

In 2023, the BCAN-Ray (Breast Cancer Risk Assessment in Young Women) was launched a year ago in Sarah Harding’s name. In May 2024 Sky News reported that “Harding's consultant Dr Sacha Howell from Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, who is leading the study, said of the singer: "I think she'd be absolutely thrilled that she was part of this and her legacy is that we will be helping more and more young women like her.

"But what we're all hoping is that by detecting those cancers earlier, they won't unfortunately have that end result that Sarah did, which was to pass away with the disease."

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Harding's legacy won't just be her successful music career, it will also be her work in raising awareness around breast cancer and potentially giving many more women in their 30s a future.”

What is Sarah Harding’s book?

Sarah Harding’s book Hear Me Out was written during her fight against breast cancer. It is available in paperback from Waterstones for £8.99 and Waterstones described the book as “Refreshingly honest and relatable, Sarah Harding reveals the truth behind her life as a member of Girls Aloud and beyond, and the challenges that come with living a life in the limelight in this courageous and thoughtful memoir.”

You can watch The Girls Aloud Show: Live at The 02 on ITV1 at 8pm tonight (Sunday November 17). 

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