Losing Sarah has taught me that life is too precious to put things off
Singer says she’s striking a better balance
Girls Aloud will reunite for their 20th anniversary next year as a tribute to late band member Sarah Harding.
Plans for a pop comeback were put on hold following Sarah’s tragic death in September from breast cancer.
But Nadine Coyle, 37, has hinted Cheryl Cole, 38, Kimberley Walsh, 40, and Nicola Roberts, 36, will reform as a four-piece next year as originally planned to honour Sarah for the fans.
Speaking in the same week Sarah would have celebrated her 40th birthday, Nadine said: “It is still so surreal to me to think about Girls Aloud as a four.
“It is still so raw at the moment but it is our 20th anniversary next year.
“It would be really nice for the fans for us to do something.
“There have been so many highlights. I am so proud of everything we achieved together as a band, of all the memories we have and of course the music we made.”
Nadine has previous spoken about feeling Sarah’s ghost around her saying: “She’s definitely made her presence known a few times.”
And the band’s youngest member Nicola also revealed she could feel Sarah’s energy, two months on from the star’s death.
Posting a poignant birthday tribute on Wednesday, Nicola said: “I know you’re somewhere making trouble, live one. Happy Earth birthday Sarah.
“Love, miss and thinking about you all the time. I feel your energy like you’re still here. Wish we could have ran riot around town like we used to for your big 4.0 today.”
Plans for a sensational reunion tour were well under way before Sarah was diagnosed with the disease in 2020.
The comeback was shelved following her passing, with Kimberley saying: “It’s not really something we’re even thinking about obviously. No one is even in the headspace right now.”
But sources in the band claim they will do something to celebrate Sarah’s life and the band’s success.
Our insider said: “The anniversary will obviously be very different to what was originally planned but when the time is right the girls will do something to honour Sarah and all their achievements together.”
Opening up about her own struggles, Nadine told how she fell out of love with music due to Sarah’s cancer battle and the Covid pandemic.
She said: “To be honest, it didn’t feel right recording pop music for a long time.
“Actually it hasn’t felt right doing anything really for a long time.
“I am starting to feel a little bit better and getting my strength back so we will see what happens in the future.”
Girls Aloud were formed in 2002 on television talent show Popstars: The Rivals.
They went on to have an incredible 21 top 10 singles and four No1s, even winning a Brit Award in 2009 for The Promise.
The girls fell out after the band suddenly split at the end of their 2013 tour, with Nadine and Sarah claiming they were not consulted about the decision.
But all five members had patched up their differences before Sarah found out she had cancer. The remaining four have struggled to come to terms with their grief. Nadine told how she retreated from public life during the pandemic following SarahSarah’ss diagdiagnosis.
The IrishIr singer said: “I didn’t want to write music. I just focufocused on getting through the day- to- day stuf f. I stastayed off social media and Instagram.
“There was just so much sufsuffering. Everyone was strugstruggling in the pandemic and thenth I had a friend (Sarah) who was really, really ill. “I didn’t wawant to portray anything that was too happy or too upbeat because it just wasn’t the right thing to do. I just wanted to be private and focus on my family and build myself up again.
“I am starting to get to the point where I want to do music again. I haven’t finished with my solo music.
“I will probably return to writing and recording music next year. I will take stock and see how it goes.”
Nadine admitted Sarah’s death had changed her outlook on life.
“This last year or two has shown that life can change so quickly,” she said.
“Life is too precious to be putting things off for the future.
“I just want to be healthy and happy. To find a nice balance between work life and my personal life. I only want to do what I love to do.”
She is currently a judge on Irish talent show Last Singer Standing alongside Samantha Mumba, NSYNC’s Joey Fatone and host, Westlife star Nicky Byrne.
Revealing plans to set up her own performing arts school, Nadine said: “As artists, we are used to having a lot of things centred around ourselves but I would like to give more back.
“I’ve loved helping and mentoring singers on Last Singer Standing. I would like to do more of that.
“The reaction to the show has been really positive. I would love to come back for a second series.
“I would also love to do the UK version if it is picked up.
“I really liked mentoring and passing on my knowledge.
“I’ve even discussed starting up a
I just be want to and healthy only happy. I do want to what I love to do
performing arts schooschool her in Ireland.
“So I will definitely be lookingloo more into that next year.” In the meantime, all four girls are expected to raise a glaglass to Sarah this weekend as they celebrate Kimberley’s birthday.birth She turned 40 yesterday,yesterday just three days after what wouldw also have been Sarah’s 40th.4 Nadine kept KimberKimberley’s birthday plans private but admitted: “She is havinghav a big party. I can’t believe I have known Kimberley since she was 21. I was 17 and I just kept thinthinking how mature she is.”
Nadine was chatting to promotepromo 27 years of the National Lottery and the cash raised every week for good causes.
She said: “I had no idea £ 30million was raised every week and that more than 635,000 local organisations had been helped by National Lottery funding. Due to Covid, the National Lottery funding is needed more than ever.
“Performing in venues throughout the UK,
I ’ ve seen f irst- hand what a difference the
Nat ional Lot ter y makes to the arts.”