Sarah Harding, a founding member of British girl group Girls Aloud, has died following a battle with breast cancer. She was 39.
Harding’s death was confirmed in a statement by her mother Marie. “It’s with deep heartbreak that today I’m sharing the news that my beautiful daughter Sarah has sadly passed away,” Marie wrote in an Instagram post.
“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.”
The post continued, “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.”
In August 2020, Harding revealed that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer that has spread to other parts of her body. In her memoir, Hear Me Out, published earlier this year, Harding noted that she underwent chemotherapy and a mastectomy, but that her prognosis was not optimistic.
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“In December my doctor told me that the upcoming Christmas would probably be my last,” she wrote. “I don’t want an exact prognosis. I don’t know why anyone would want that.
“Comfort and being as pain-free as possible is what’s important to me now… I’m at a stage now where I don’t know how many months I have left. Who knows, maybe I’ll surprise everyone, but that’s how I’m looking at things.”
Harding formed Girls Aloud in 2002. The group was put together as part of ITV’s Popstars: The Rivals. Over their decade-long tenure, the group — comprised of Harding, Cheryl Tweedy, Nadine Coyle, Nicola Roberts, and Kimberley Walsh — released five albums.
Following their disbandment in 2013, Harding pursued acting, appearing on the beloved soap Coronation Street.
