R.I.P. Sarah Harding of British pop band Girls Aloud
The singer, who appeared in various British reality shows before and after the band was formed, was diagnosed with cancer last year.
As reported by Billboard, British pop singer and actor Sarah Harding—best known as a member of the group Girls Aloud—has died following a battle with breast cancer. She was diagnosed last year, and Harding’s mother said in a statement that she “fought so strongly from her diagnosis until her last day” and that she would want to be remembered for being a “bright shining star” rather than for her cancer diagnosis. Harding published a memoir earlier this year, and in it she explained that she announced her cancer diagnosis in hopes of convincing others to get checked while they can. Harding was 39.
Born in Berkshire in 1981, Harding was an aspiring singer who worked various jobs while performing where she could. In 2002, she auditioned for British reality shows Popstars: The Rivals and Fame Academy and was accepted into both, though she dropped out of the latter when she made it past the first round of the former. Popstars was based around the judges (including pop group icon Geri Halliwell) assembling new pop groups with input from viewers calling in to vote, and Harding was eventually teamed up with Nadine Coyle, Cheryl Tweedy, Nicola Roberts, and Kimberly Walsh to form Girls Aloud.