CHERYL has opened up about the death of her Girls Aloud bandmate Sarah Harding, saying she “wasn’t ready to leave”.
The singer, 39, has spoken candidly about her close friend and admitted her passing has made her think differently about her own life.
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Sarah died from breast cancer in September 2021 aged 39 and Cheryl is now determined to live her life “with her in mind”.
Cheryl told Mail Online: “A lot of conversations we had before she left really sparked a different perspective for me, and I’ll carry that.
“She wasn’t ready to leave and I think, ‘Well I’m still here’. I’ve got the gift of life to still live, and I’ll do it with her in mind. It does shift a lot of things in your own heart.”
Cheryl found fame alongside Sarah, Kimberley Walsh, Nicola Roberts and Nadine Coyle on Popstars: The Rivals in 2002.
They formed the band Girls Aloud and went on to have a huge career spanning a decade together.
In July 2009, the girls announced they would be taking a year-long hiatus.
Time rolled by and they ended up getting back together for a 10-year reunion tour in 2013, before announcing they were splitting for good.
Cheryl and her bandmates all went off to focus on their own careers, with her, Nadine and Kimberley also becoming mothers too.
In August 2020, Sarah made the shock announcement that she had been diagnosed with advanced breast cancer.
The girls rallied round and grew close again in the wake of her tragic health news.
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Sarah underwent a mastectomy and chemotherapy in a bid to prolong her life but she sadly died 13 months later.
The singer’s devastated mum Marie confirmed the heartbreaking news, saying her “shining star” had “slipped away”.
She wrote at the time on Instagram: “It’s with deep heartbreak that today I’m sharing the news that my beautiful daughter Sarah has sadly passed away.
“Many of you will know of Sarah’s battle with cancer and that she fought so strongly from her diagnosis until her last day.
“She slipped away peacefully this morning. I’d like to thank everyone for their kind support over the past year. It meant the world to Sarah and it gave her great strength and comfort to know she was loved.
“I know she won’t want to be remembered for her fight against this terrible disease – she was a bright shining star and I hope that’s how she can be remembered instead.- Marie x”.
Cheryl – who has just started a three-month run in London’s West End show 2:22 A Ghost Story – and her Girls Aloud bandmates were utterly heartbroken.
But she says their close friend’s death has also tightened their bond.
“With the loss and our age we just appreciate and love each other so much more,” she added to Mail Online.
“We always have loved each other, obviously. But it’s just a different, there’s a different depth to it all now.”
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