Sarah Harding ‘made emotional calls to Girls Aloud stars
Sarah Harding ‘made emotional calls to Girls Aloud stars days before she announced her breast cancer diagnosis’
- According to The Mirror, the singer, 38, spoke to Cheryl, Nadine Coyle, Kimberley Walsh and Nicola Roberts before she made a public statement
- A source said: ‘There is so much shared history between them all and to hear this from Sarah was utterly heartbreaking’
- They added: ‘They’ve all shed a lot of tears but all of the girls vowed to be strong and be there for her no matter what. They are closer than ever as a unit’
- The singer and former wild child shared her shocking diagnosis with fans on Instagram on Wednesday, leading to an outpouring of support
- Forming in 2003, the group went on hiatus in 2009 before reuniting in 2012. Girls Aloud announced their split following a successful final tour in 2013
By Sean O’grady and Laura Fox For Mailonline
Published: 20:45 EDT, 26 August 2020 | Updated: 21:00 EDT, 26 August 2020
Sarah Harding reportedly made emotional phone calls to her Girls Aloud band mates about her cancer battle in the days before announcing her diagnosis.
According to The Mirror, the singer, 38, spoke to Cheryl, Nadine Coyle, Kimberley Walsh and Nicola Roberts before she announced to the public that she has ‘advanced’ breast cancer.
An insider told the publication that the group are with their friend ‘every step of the way’ and the news has brought them closer than ever.
Making contact: Sarah Harding, 38, reportedly made phone calls to her Girls Aloud band mates about her cancer battle in the days before announcing her diagnosis (pictured in 2016)
A source said: ‘There is so much shared history between them all and to hear this from Sarah was utterly heartbreaking. They adore Sarah and are with her every step of the way.
‘They’ve all shed a lot of tears but all of the girls vowed to be strong and be there for her no matter what. They are closer than ever as a unit.’
MailOnline has contacted a representative for Sarah for comment.
The singer and former wild child shared her shocking diagnosis with fans on Instagram on Wednesday, leading to an outpouring of support.
Emotional: Sarah spoke to Cheryl, Nadine Coyle, Kimberley Walsh and Nicola Roberts before she announced to the public that she has ‘advanced’ breast cancer (pictured in 2013)
Sarah announced the heartbreaking news with a snap taken from her hospital bed, as she explained she’d been undergoing weekly chemotherapy sessions, but the cancer has spread to ‘other parts of her body.’
She wrote: ‘Hi everyone, I hope you are all keeping safe and well during these uncertain times.
‘I’ve not posted on here for so long, thank you to everyone who has reached out to check in on me, it really does mean a lot.
‘I feel now is the right time to share what’s been going on. There’s no easy way to say this and actually it doesn’t even feel real writing this, but here goes.
‘Earlier this year I was diagnosed with breast cancer and a couple of weeks ago I received the devastating news that the cancer has advanced to other parts of my body.’
A source said: ‘There is so much shared history between them all and to hear this from Sarah was utterly heartbreaking. They adore Sarah and are with her every step of the way’
Sarah continued: ‘I’m currently undergoing weekly chemotherapy sessions and I am fighting as hard as I possibly can. I understand this might be shocking to read on social media and that really isn’t my intention.
‘But last week it was mentioned online that I had been seen in hospital, so I feel now is the time to let people know what’s going on and this is the best way I can think of to do so.
‘My amazing mum, family and close friends are helping me through this, and I want to say a thank you to the wonderful NHS doctors and nurses who have been and continue to be heroes.
‘I am doing my very best to keep positive and will keep you updated here with how I’m getting on. In the meantime I hope you’ll all understand and respect my request for privacy during this difficult time. Sending you all so much love….xx.’
All of the Girls Aloud members sent their support, with Cheryl, 37, tweeting a ‘broken heart’ emoji after Sarah announced the news.
They added: ‘They’ve all shed a lot of tears but all of the girls vowed to be strong and be there for her no matter what. They are closer than ever as a unit’
Nadine, 35, wrote: ‘I love you!! You have always been able to achieve miracles when needed!! I am here for the all ways & always will be!!!’
Clearly shocked by Sarah’s diagnosis, Nicola, 34, tweeted: ‘It goes without saying that this is blindsiding. @SarahNHarding you’re so loved and supported.’
Kimberley, 38, also sent her love to her former bandmate, writing: ‘My heart is broken. You are so strong and brave and we are with you every step of the way.’
Girls Aloud split in 2013, but were dogged by rumours of secret feuds within the band, with Cheryl, Nicola and Kimberley forming a notably closer bond.
Kimberley has also said to MailOnline in November 2019: ‘Cheryl, Nicola and I… we were just very close. I just don’t click with the other girls.
‘There is honestly no rift, we just didn’t click in the same way with Nadine and Sarah that we’d want to see each other every week. It was more that we were work friends.’
We’re with you: Posting on Twitter, Cheryl shared a single broken heart emoji, while Nadine insisted she will continue to support her old friend during the crisis. Nicola and Kimberley also showed their support for Sarah later that day
Forming in 2003, the group went on hiatus in 2009 before reuniting in 2012. Girls Aloud announced their split following a successful final tour in 2013.
It comes as Coleen Nolan recently told how she believes Sarah is right to stay positive amid her cancer battle.
The Loose Women presenter tragically lost her sister Bernie, 52, to breast cancer in 2013 while her sisters Anne, 69, and Linda, 61, are both currently going through treatment for cancer.
Writing in The Mirror, Coleen said of Sarah: ‘She, like so many others – including my sisters – knows the power of facing this awful disease head-on and battling it with everything you have.
‘Whether it’s as a shoulder to cry on, a rallying cry when things get tough or simply silence and a held hand when needed, those of us who can only watch our loved ones facing this ordeal must be whatever they need.’
While Coleen acknowledged Sarah has difficult weeks and months ahead, she added: ‘Sarah is in the best possible place to face down this horrible disease and, we all hope, beat it.’
Devastating: The singer made the heartbreaking admission in an Instagram post shared from her hospital bed
For years Sarah was known for her hard-partying ways, and was dubbed ‘Hardcore Harding’ by her band mates and referred to as the ‘caner’ of the group, as she was often seen swigging from whisky bottles and stumbling out of nightclubs
She checked into rehab in 2011 after ‘hitting rock bottom’ following her split from fiancé Tom Crane for ‘depression and alcohol addiction.’
The Sun reported at the time that she turned to alcohol to help her through the painful period.
A source told the publication: ‘She’s been through a traumatic time in her personal life and had to honour her work commitments on top. She needs some time out to clear her head.’
‘Some of her closest friends had suggested she seek help over the last few months, but she refused,’ a source told the Sun.
‘Splitting from Tom has played a huge part in her decision to seek help. She just needs to get herself back on track emotionally. She had hit rock bottom.’
Speaking out: It comes as Coleen Nolan recently told how she believes Sarah is right to stay positive amid her cancer battle
This concerned her band mates Kimberley and Nicola who recommended she seek professional help.
Describing herself as ‘such a mess’, from October that year Sarah spent a stint in a US clinic to battle alcohol and sleeping pill addiction.
‘I’ve been told by those close to me that was when I hit my worst,’ she said.
‘I was crying hysterically. I felt ashamed, embarrassed, terrified – my emotions were all over the place.’
Sarah’s television career post Girls Aloud also saw her venture into the world of reality – she competed on BBC gymnastics show Tumble in 2014 where she placed third before taking part in Celebrity MasterChef the following year.
The star took on her most gruelling physical challenge to date when she joined the line-up of Channel 4 series, The Jump, in 2016.
Past: For years Sarah was known for her hard-partying ways, and was dubbed ‘Hardcore Harding’ by her band mates and referred to as the ‘caner’ of the group (pictured in 2012)
Her hopes of winning the series came to a painful end when she tore a ligament in her knee during training which forced her to withdraw from the series.
The knock-on effects of Sarah’s injury also scuppered further work opportunities. She appeared in a UK tour of Ghost The Musical but was replaced midway through the run due to her injury.
Sarah made a triumphant return to screens on Celebrity Big Brother in 2017, where she found love with US reality star Chad Johnson for just three months – which set tongues wagging as the singer had a boyfriend of four weeks at the time.
Confirming their split at the time, she said: ‘It is with sadness that I can now confirm my relationship with Chad is over.
‘The distance has proved too much of an obstacle even though we both tried to make it work.
‘I wish him all the best for the future and thank him for the memories we shared during a very interesting summer.’
The media personality has maintained a low profile in recent years and changed her Twitter bio to read ‘taking a timeout’ last year.
Struggles: She checked into rehab in 2011 after ‘hitting rock bottom’ following her split from fiancé Tom Crane for ‘depression and alcohol addiction’ (pictured in 2013)
In April, her ex-boyfriend Chad, 33, said that he doesn’t know where she is and nobody has ‘really heard from her’ after it was reported last year she had ‘quit fame’ to go into hiding.
Sarah made her return to social media for the first time since July 2019 in May of this year, sparking a delighted reaction from fans, as she shared a series of tweets.
The artist’s first post showed a gif of a T-Rex reaching out his arms saying: ‘I miss you this much’.
Captioning the tweet, she penned: ‘Lmfao….@taskmaster….#splatchat’ with several prayer hand emojis.
Following her initial dinosaur inspired post, the blonde beauty was met with comments from delighted fans who missed her during her ‘timeout.’
The songstress then replied to fans: ‘Fankooo lovelies. Missed you all…. Hope Ur all well and staying safe xxx’.
Addressing the issue on Wednesday’s edition of Loose Women, panelist Carol McGiffin drew parallels with her own cancer battle in 2014.
Success: Sarah made a triumphant return to screens on Celebrity Big Brother in 2017 and won the series (pictured in 2017)
The 60-year old, who underwent a mastectomy, chemotherapy and radiotherapy sessions after finding a lump on her breast, said: ‘I feel for Sarah, it is actually the hardest thing [revealing your diagnosis].
‘It’s hard enough getting the diagnosis, but when you get used to that it’s then having to tell other people.
‘It’s difficult, I only told my family and close friends but with every single one of them I had to make a real effort to think it through. So for her having to do that and tell the world and put it on social media straight away I feel for her.’
Co-panellist Kaye Adams added: ‘I don’t want to be insensitive talking about someone’s experiences with cancer. When my grandma was diagnosed with cancer a long time ago she didn’t say the word, she called it the big C.
‘So while I feel bad bringing it up, Sarah has said she is receiving the best treatment and has paid tribute to the staff who are treating her.’
She added: ‘Sarah our thoughts are genuinely with you.’
If you have been affected by this story, call Macmillan Cancer Support on 0808 808 00 00.
Privacy: The media personality has maintained a low profile in recent years and changed her Twitter bio to read ‘taking a timeout’ last year (pictured in 2018)
