Cheryl is moved to tears as she insists Girls Aloud will make reunion tour ‘magical’ in honour of late bandmate Sarah Harding following cancer death
Cheryl Tweedy was moved close to tears as she spoke about making the Girls Aloud reunion tour ‘magical’ for their late bandmate Sarah Harding during an appearance on The One Show on Friday.
The singer, 40, along with Kimberley Walsh, 42, Nadine Coyle, 38, and Nicola Roberts, 38, are set to take to the stage at a number of arenas around the UK next year.
Sarah tragically passed away two years ago, when she was just 39, after a battle with breast cancer.
And Cheryl said it felt strange to be getting back together without Sarah after she had originally been included in discussions about a reunion tour to celebrate the group’s 20th anniversary, which was last year.
She said: ‘It’s very odd, if I’m completely honest. We’ve found every step of the way of this a bit weird. Being totally honest it will never be the same as it was.’
Emotional: Cheryl was moved to tears as she spoke about making the Girls Aloud tour ‘magical’ for their late bandmate Sarah Harding during an appearance on The One Show on Friday
Devastating: Sarah tragically passed away two years ago, when she was just 39, after a battle with breast cancer
Placing a hand on Nadine’s knee for moral support, she became tearful as Nadine held her hand, with Cheryl adding: ‘But we are just trying our very best to make it magical with Sarah in mind.’
Explaining how the reunion tour came about, Kimberley said: ‘We’d had loads of conversations coming up to our 20 year anniversary and obviously those conversations involved Sarah.
‘So sadly, after she passed away, that went out the window.
‘We focused on other things. Then it was probably over the summer we spent a lot of time together. There was a kind of shift I suppose, we felt such an outpouring of love towards the group and for Sarah.
‘Suddenly it just felt like, do you know what, maybe we are ready to celebrate those 21 years. And also celebrate her.’
The girls are planning to hit the road in May and June 2024 in recognition of this month marking 21 years since they and the late Sarah won Popstars: The Rivals.
However, the group have not recorded new music but just want to celebrate their back catalogue.
Cheryl revealed they had been discussing the plans for some time but put the idea on ice when Sarah – who died in September 2021 – was diagnosed with breast cancer.
Band: Cheryl, 40, along with Kimberley Walsh , 42, Nadine Coyle , 38, and Nicola Roberts , 38, are set to take to the stage at a number of arenas around the UK next year (L-R: Kimberley, Nicola, Nadine and Cheryl)
Tour: Explaining the reunion tour, Kimberley (pictured) said: ‘We’d had loads of conversations coming up to our 20 year anniversary and obviously those conversations involved Sarah’
On air: Nadie was see waving to fans outside as she sat with her bandmates and singer Jane McDonald on The One Show sofa
Famous friends: Cheryl was seen being greeted by The One Show host Alex Jones in the television studio
Looking good: Cheryl looked chic in an all-black outfit, coordinating with her fellow bandmates who also wore black attire
Fashion focus: Nadine looked stylish in a black ensemble which featured a sheer lace panel at the top
Edgy: Kimberley showed off her edgy style credentials as she donned a black leather jacket for her appearance on the programme
She said in a statement: ‘We all started talking about the possibility of doing something to celebrate Girls Aloud’s 20-year anniversary a few years ago. The anniversary seemed like an obvious thing that we would celebrate.
‘But when Sarah fell ill all priorities changed. She passed away a year before the anniversary and it just didn’t feel right, it felt too soon.’
The group plan to use the tour to ‘celebrate’ their late friend.
Cheryl added: ‘But now, I think there is an energy that does makes it feel right. It’s the right time to celebrate Sarah, it’s the right time to celebrate the band and the right time to celebrate the fact we can still do this 21 years later. That’s a big honour in lots of ways.’
Kimberley said: ‘Over the last year, we’ve felt this outpouring of love – obviously towards Sarah, but actually towards all of us as a group.
‘And I guess it’s ignited something in all of us again. It feels like something has changed and it does feel like the right time to celebrate Sarah and the 20-year anniversary that we didn’t celebrate at the time.’
The group hope fans will enjoy the tour just as much as them.
Missed: Cheryl said it felt strange to be getting back together without Sarah after she had originally been included in discussions about a reunion tour (Sarah pictured in 2017)
Nadine said: ‘Girls Aloud are a band that made such a huge impact on people’s lives. We grew up with the band, but so did so many other people.
‘So for us not to do something again feels like such a shame and a waste. We want to have that moment with fans where we can all enjoy it together.’
Nicola added: ‘I think what’s really encouraging is that whenever people ask us about reuniting it’s not, “Would you guys ever do it?” but “When are you guys gonna do it?” To know we still have that love from our fans and people who watched us grow up gives us the confidence to do the tour.
‘It will be massive celebration of everything we’ve done up to this point. We want people to leave being like, “Wow, I’ve just had one of the best nights of my life.’
Girls Aloud originally formed in 2002 on ITV ‘s Pop Stars: The Rivals and shot to fame, achieving 20 top-ten singles and five BRIT award nominations.
Girls Aloud took an initial break in 2009 to pursue other projects before they split for good in 2013.
icons: The gals are back together again – in honour of Sarah Harding (pictured all together)
Sarah tragically passed away two years ago, when she was just 39, after a battle with breast cancer.
After her time in Girls Aloud, Sarah starred in Coronation Street and went on Celebrity Big Brother in 2017.
In 2020 she announced she had breast cancer and that it had spread, before releasing a memoir in 2021 titled Hear Me Out.
After Sarah’s death, bandmate Nicola said: ‘Time is the most precious thing we have as human beings, it can run out at any point.
‘I think it would be very easy to become extremely fearful, over time, when someone so young and so close to you has ran out of it and I think it’s important not to become obsessed with it because things are still happening on their own, in your own time.
‘I think it’s important to still sort of go through the pace of your life as you were, and not become frantic about your time possibly coming to an end, or someone else that you love’s time possibly coming to an end. I think that is a dangerous place to be.’
In 2022 the group held The Primrose Ball, a charity gala event for The Christie NHS Foundation Trust and Cancer Research UK, as part of The Sarah Harding Breast Cancer Appeal – but did not perform together.
Kimberley Walsh is currently a regular presenter on Morning Live and was a finalist on Strictly Come Dancing as well the lead in several West End productions including Shrek, Elf and Big.
Reunited! The group have not recorded new music but just want to celebrate their back catalogue
Quick! The group hope fans will enjoy the tour just as much as them
Nadine Coyle continues to successfully release music and tour, headlining festivals across the UK.
Nicola Roberts is known for her solo music career, songwriting, winning the first season of the Masked Singer UK in 2020 as Queen Bee, as well her advocacy work successfully getting tanning beds banned for under 16s in the UK.
Cheryl especially has stayed in the spotlight over the years, due to her position as a judge on the X Factor, her tempestuous love life, and most recently her appearance in 2:22 A Ghost Story.
Tickets will go on pre-sale on Wednesday 29th November at 9am, with the general on sale Friday 1st December at 9am, all via girlsaloud.com.
Where are Girls Aloud touring?
- 18 May – 3Arena Dublin
- 20 May – SSE Arena Belfast
- 23 May – Manchester AO Arena
- 24 May – Manchester AO Arena
- 27 May – Cardiff Utilita Arena
- 31 May – Newcastle Utilita Arena
- 1 June – Newcastle Utilita Arena
- 4 June – Aberdeen P+J Live
- 8 June – Glasgow OVO Hydro
- 12 June – Nottingham Motorpoint Arena
- 15 June – Leeds First Direct Arena
- 18 June – Birmingham Resorts World Arena
- 22 June – London The O2
- 23 June – London The O2
- 29 June – Liverpool M+S Bank Arena
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