Girls Aloud are planning a comeback… if they ever make it with all their arguing
Clear your diaries for, er, 2022
Girls Aloud fans thought their prayers had been answered last week, after it was reported that the band – who broke up amid infighting in 2013 – were finally reuniting. But before you go rehearsing your
Sound Of The Underground
mic dancing, save your energy – because the girls are planning to reform for their 20th anniversary. In other words, in four years’ time.
According to sources, all five girls are hypothetically on board. But with years to go before the event itself, the chances of another fallout look increasingly likely. While Cheryl initiated the reunion, keen to “let bygones be bygones” and put the divisions behind them, we’re told that her priority is releasing her own new music. She thinks that waiting until the 20th anniversary of their winning Popstars: The Rivals is the best plan for the reunion. But now she’s found herself at loggerheads with Nadine Coyle, and no one knows if they’ll have settled their differences by 2022.
“Cheryl feels really excited about the reunion, and believed it was only right to do something for their 20th anniversary,” a source close to the band tells
heat. “The problem is, Cheryl and Nadine don’t see eye to eye on a number of things and, while Cheryl really wanted to just move past it all, they’re still butting heads. The other girls are worried, because anything can happen between then and now. They feel that if Cheryl and Nadine can’t compromise, it’s only going to get worse later on.”
It’s no secret that the band has long been riddled with conflict, with Cheryl, Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh remaining lifelong besties, while Sarah Harding and Nadine kept their distance. Nadine, in particular, has remained estranged from her former bandmates, claiming she had no say in the decision to split, and openly saying that the other four were her work colleagues, rather than her friends. Last year, she controversially claimed that they had treated her badly because she had the best singing voice.
Last week, she cancelled her solo tour – during which she’d planned
to perform Girls Aloud songs – reportedly as she has agreed to wait until she could perform them with the others. But now we’re told that she’s making more and more demands, casting the entire reunion into question.
“Nadine has been pushing for them to get in the studio right away and do another album, while Cheryl just can’t commit to that right now,” our source reveals, adding that the singer is expected to release her long-awaited fifth studio album later this year. “She feels that Nadine can sometimes play games with the band, and has a very selective memory when it comes to remembering what caused a lot of their arguments. She’s willing to forget about the past, but she’s praying that Nadine behaves herself. She’s not sure she can handle getting back together if there’s still all that animosity. It’s been a nightmare for Kimberley and Nicola, who are once again the peacekeepers in the middle.”
Meanwhile, our sources say Sarah – who’s caused concern with her partying since winning
Celebrity Big Brother last year – “hasn’t been much help, as she and
‘Anything can happen between then and now’
Nadine look out for each other.”
So, with four years to go, it’s anyone’s guess whether the fab five will make it back to the stage. Will we ever see the day? Only time will tell.