Sarah Harding: Girls Aloud stars reunite for charity 5k in honour of their late bandmate

Cheryl Cole, Nadine Coyle and Nicola Roberts have taken part in a charity run in memory of their late band member Sarah Harding.

Hundreds of people, including the three singers were in attendance for the Race for Life for Sarah event in Hyde Park on Sunday.

Harding was just 39 when she passed away in September 2021 after sharing that her breast cancer had spread.

Kimberly Walsh was unable to make the event but did say she would walk the 5k remotely in memory of Sarah Harding.

But despite not being able to attend the event with her band members, Walsh joined the rest of Girls Aloud on a live broadcast on Instagram to share her experiences doing the 5k.

The three Girls Aloud members, who had not been seen together since 2013, wore pink Race for Life T-shirts as they ran together during the event.

Speaking at the charity race in London’s Hyde Park, Cheryl Cole said: “To be honest, I’ve never experienced or anticipated this grief.

“You know, I’ve lost grandparents when I was younger and I lost a friend when I was younger but nothing like this, the feeling of shock and disbelief and it still lingers now to be honest. I still can’t quite believe it’s real.”

Nadine Coyle also shared how she was “in denial” about Sarah’s diagnosis which prompted Nicola Roberts to say: “Also we were concerned for your denial. Like I think for me, I felt like I’m worried for you that you’re not so present.”

Coyle also said:  “This time last year we were actually hanging out,” she said, adding: “We all met up last year. She was there and we were talking and she didn’t even seem that sick.

“I was in denial the entire time and was the friend that was ‘Oh, it’s gonna be all right’, you know, I was completely in denial right up until the day she passed.”

Roberts also shared how Sarah Harding had an “electric” energy, saying: “Obviously coming together now quite often to get things happening is strange because her energy was so electric that we’re kind of… the four of us have such a chill…

“Sarah’s energy was like a firework so I feel like that huge difference in energy when she’s not there.

“I think that for us right now, we don’t feel like Girls Aloud. We don’t feel like a band without Sarah. She, like I said just now, she was such a huge part of our energy that it doesn’t feel like that.”

The band’s fundraising efforts will conclude with a large gala dinner in memory of Sarah.

Who was Sarah Harding?

She was born on November 17 1981 in Ascot.

Harding was a singer, model and actress whose professional career began in 2002 when she auditioned for ITV’s reality series Popstars: The Rivals.

The singer won her place in girl group Girls Aloud who went on to achieve 20 consecutive top ten singles in the UK.

During a break with the band, Harding worked on her acting career, where she starred in St Trinian’s 2 and Coronation Street.

She was also named the winner of Celebrity Big Brother 20 in 2017.

In August 2020, Harding announced that she had advanced breast cancer and then in March 2021, shared that her illness was terminal.

She passed away on September 5 2021 at 39 years old.

What are the symptoms of breast cancer?

After Sarah Harding’s passing and the Race for Life event, cancer charities have been sharing the signs and symptoms of breast cancer.

UK based cancer charity Coppafeel regularly shares reminders to check your boobs, regardless of gender and are working to ensure people have the best possible chance of surviving breast cancer.

Coppafeel have shared the top eight things you should look out for when checking your breasts, they include:

• Changes in skin texture - i.e. puckering/dimpling
• Lumps or thickening in the breast tissue
• Any discharge or fluid coming from your nipples
• Nipple inversion or changes in the direction of your nipple
• Swelling around your armpit or collar bone
• Constant, unusual pain in your breast or armpit
• A sudden change in size or shape 
• A rash or crusting around the nipple or surrounding area.

Coppafeel has shared that it is important to remember that anyone can get breast cancer, regardless of your gender or age and it is always important to check your breasts.