The real reason behind CBB Sarah’s erratic behaviour
‘Vulnerable’ Sarah Harding’s plan to show her softer side backfires as her fall from grace continues
During her threeweek D stint in the CBB house, Sarah Harding was branded “unstable” by her housemates and dominated the headlines with everything from boozy sessions and tearful breakdowns to saucy scenes with on/off boyfriend Chad Johnson. The former Girls Aloud star, 35, had entered the house vowing to show people the “real Sarah” after gaining notoriety for her party lifestyle in her 20s. She’d previously opened up to Closer, saying: “People want to label me as a wild child who’s gone off the rails, but it couldn’t be further from the truth – I’m not like that any more.” She then spoke candidly in the house about her dreams to find Mr Right and start a family. Sarah seemingly had it all in her 20s, alongside bandmates Cheryl, Nadine Coyle, Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh. But her problems began in 2011 when she checked into rehab to battle her issues with alcohol, depression and an addiction to sleeping pills, following her split from fiancé DJ Tom Crane after four years together.
Speaking about the break-up in the house, Sarah said: “A lot of my issues were down to being in a toxic relationship. Six months before I was due to get married, it all just tumbled around me… I had nothing. I felt I had lost my family, my friends… I felt like I had no one left I could turn to.”
BROKEN ROMANCE
It marked the start of a string of broken relationships for Sarah. After ending things with Tom, she dated recovering addict Theo Van Dries, whom she met in rehab, but the romance ended in violence when a fight broke out between them. Then, in 2014, she split from DJ Mark Foster after two years together.
Closer psychologist Emma Kenny says Sarah places too much emphasis on finding happiness, explaining: “Sarah seems set on the idea that meeting a man and starting a family will make her content, but she needs to realise that men can’t answer her problems. Her
failed relationship with Tom is what derailed her, but she’s blaming other people for her unhappiness and fallen career.
“Sarah seems to act out and behave this way as she desperately wants a steady partner and family. The heartache of not having that life is driving her to the edge. She’s craving drama and attention and valuing herself on what others think of her.”
Sarah’s also had a notoriously rocky professional life since Girls Aloud took a hiatus in 2009 and later split. While the other band members all forged successful careers in music, TV presenting and fashion design, Sarah’s much talked about debut solo album never materialised.
In 2012, she appeared alongside Danny Dyer in film Run For Your Wife – which took just £602 in its first weekend
and was branded by critics one
of the “worst British films of all time.” More bad news followed when it emerged in June that the pair had enjoyed a six-week affair during filming, with Sarah reportedly claiming she was unaware Danny had a long-term girlfriend when he“seduced” her.
She had a four-episode run in Coronation Street in 2015, but it was slammed as “wooden” and her contract wasn’t extended.
meltdowns
At the beginning of this year, Sarah was replaced in Ghost: The Musical after suffering an on-stage meltdown. Reports emerged that she was on the verge of a breakdown, but she spoke out, saying chronic pain from a knee injury she sustained during Channel 4’s The Jump last year had taken a “massive toll” on her “mental and physical wellbeing.”
And during her stint on CBB, her behaviour shocked fans, who Tweeted that her once promising career would be left in “tatters.” The star was branded a “nightmare” drunk and allegedly performed a sex act on love interest Chad, despite having a boyfriend outside the house – believed to be plasterer Aaron Lacey. It was also later rumoured they had sex in the house.
‘Car Crash’
Emma says: “Sarah is a recovering alcoholic, and with the triggers of a high-pressure environment an addict is almost definitely going to turn to whatever their self-medication may be – in Sarah’s case, alcohol – which makes her aggressive, and she’s ruining her reputation.
“She wants approval from others and cares a lot about what people think of her, which highlights her low self-esteem. Because she’s had a taste of popularity, she knows what she’s lost and wants it back. But when the CBB headlines die down and her time in the spotlight dwindles, her confidence will come crashing down again.”
But a source close to Sarah says she was relying on her time in the house to relaunch her career and, despite being a hit with some fans, her “car crash” performance will see her retire from showbiz.
A source says: “Sarah was hoping being on the show would endear her to the public and springboard her into more music and acting opportunities, but that’s backfired.
“Her inner circle think she should take some time out to focus on herself before slowly building up her reputation in a couple of years’ time. She’s really damaged her brand with her outbursts and boozy antics. Her friends and family just want her to find the security she craves.”
❛she’s really damaged her brand with her outbursts and boozy antics❜