Sarah Harding

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
For other people named Sarah Harding, see Sarah Harding (disambiguation).

Sarah Harding
Harding in 2012
Born
Sarah Nicole Hardman

(1981-11-17)17 November 1981
Ascot, Berkshire, England
Died5 September 2021(2021-09-05) (aged 39)
Manchester, England
Occupations
  • Singer
  • model
  • actress
Years active1993–2021
Musical career
Genres
Instrument(s)Vocals
Labels

Sarah Harding (born Sarah Nicole Hardman; 17 November 1981 – 5 September 2021) was an English singer, model and actress. Her professional career began in 2002 when she successfully auditioned for the

ITV reality series Popstars: The Rivals, during which Harding won a place in the girl group Girls Aloud.[1] The group achieved twenty consecutive top ten singles (including four number ones) in the UK, six albums that were certified platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), two of which went to number one in the UK, and accumulated a total of five BRIT Award nominations. In 2009, Girls Aloud won "Best Single" with their song "The Promise
".

During the group's break, Harding began acting, appearing in

Celebrity Big Brother 20
in 2017.

In August 2020, Harding announced that she had been diagnosed with advanced breast cancer; she revealed in March 2021 that her condition was terminal. She died on 5 September 2021, at the age of 39.

Early life

Harding was born Sarah Nicole Hardman on 17 November 1981 in

High Street Honeys 2002, the magazine's national beauty contest. Her pictures appeared in the top 100, but Harding withdrew upon achieving success on Popstars.[10]

Career

2002–2009: Popstars: The Rivals and Girls Aloud

Harding performing with Girls Aloud at the O2 in London in 2008

In 2002, Harding auditioned for the reality television show

Cheryl Tweedy, Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh to comprise the new girl group Girls Aloud, formed through the show by a public vote on 30 November 2002.[1]

The group's debut single "

The Sound of Girls Aloud and 2008's Out of Control, both of which entered the chart at number one, with over one million copies of the former being sold.[15]
They also achieved seven certified albums and have been nominated for five Brit Awards, winning the 2009 Best Single for "The Promise".[16]

The group's musical style was pop, but throughout their career, they experimented with

£30 million by May 2010. Guinness World Records lists them as "Most Successful Reality TV Group" in the 2007 edition. They also hold the record for "Most Consecutive Top Ten Entries in the UK by a Female Group" in the 2008 edition and are credited again for "Most Successful Reality TV Group" in the 2011 edition. The group was also named the United Kingdom's biggest-selling girl group of the 21st century, with over 4.3 million singles sales and 4 million albums sold in the UK alone.[18][19]

Harding performing with Girls Aloud as part of their Out of Control tour in 2009

In 2006, Harding signed a £100,000 deal to model

Wild Child.[21] In July 2009, Girls Aloud announced they would take a year-long hiatus to pursue solo projects, but would reunite for a new studio album in 2010.[22]

During Girls Aloud's hiatus, Harding decided to focus on her acting career. "Singing was always my main ambition, but acting was something else I wanted to achieve", Harding said.

Company magazine said that "Sarah Harding showed she's got real acting potential in her convincing, but fleeting performance."[26]

Later that year, Harding returned to the

St. Trinian's 2: The Legend of Fritton's Gold. Despite her age, Harding portrayed teenage rebel Roxy, a new student at St. Trinian's School. The film received overwhelmingly negative reviews, holding a 10% 'rotten' rating on Rotten Tomatoes.[27] Harding worked with Girls Aloud producers Xenomania to record three solo tracks for the film's soundtrack – "Too Bad", "Make It Easy" and a cover of David Bowie's "Boys Keep Swinging".[28]

2009–2014: Reunion with Girls Aloud, disbandment and acting

In December 2009, Harding appeared on MTV's Sarah Harding in 24 Hours. Harding and her then-boyfriend, DJ Tom Crayne, also launched a new nightclub named Kanaloa. Harding's guest vocals appear alongside Kanobby on the Roger Sanchez and Far East Movement track "2Gether"; she also appears in snippets of the music video. Harding then filmed Run for Your Wife in which she played one of the wives of the lead character, John Smith.[29] The film was released on 14 February 2013.

After three years of hiatus, Girls Aloud reunited in 2012 to celebrate their tenth anniversary together. The group released the single "

Beautiful Cause You Love Me".[30] In 2013, the group embarked on Ten: The Hits Tour. Shortly after the tour, the group announced their split.[31]

Harding first revealed that she was working on her debut album in March 2010.[32] She named Lady Gaga as her biggest influence.[33] Despite this, an album never materialised. Harding restated her plans to release a solo album in 2013 and said that she had been "writing and experimenting with different sounds in the studio."[34][35][36] In an interview in 2014. She said, "I'm doing all sorts of stuff at the moment [...] A lot of it is music, music, music.".[37] In July 2015 her first solo release, "Threads", was announced; it was released on 7 August.[38][39]

She made a guest appearance on the

Robert Preston (Tristan Gemmill). The character made a few appearances in July and August 2015 as her marriage to Robert disintegrated when he began an affair with ex-wife Tracy Barlow (Kate Ford).[40]

2014–2021: Final projects before death

Harding competed on the BBC's Saturday night gymnastics show

twentieth series of Celebrity Big Brother.[45]

On 18 March 2021, Harding released a memoir, Hear Me Out, documenting her life and career as well as her cancer diagnosis.[46]

On 24 March 2021, Harding released her final single, "Wear It Like a Crown", which she had recorded ten years earlier. However, she had found it and decided to release it with the profits going towards her chosen charity. The same day, the song went straight to number 1 on the iTunes chart.[47] Although the single failed to chart on the UK Official Singles Top 100, it debuted and peaked at number 33 on the UK Official Singles Sales Chart Top 100 on 2 April 2021.[48]

Personal life

Harding was in an on-and-off relationship with Calum Best from 2005 to 2006.[49] They remained friends until her death.[50] Harding was engaged to DJ Tom Crane during 2011.[51] She was also in a two-year relationship with DJ Mark Foster from late 2012 to late 2014.[52] She also began a relationship with Celebrity Big Brother co-star Chad Johnson during their series of the programme. After the pair had finished the series, they had a brief long-distance relationship but ended it, remaining friends until her death. Following her death, Johnson said that he felt sad that Harding had never been able to fulfil her dream of becoming a mother.[53]

In October 2011, Harding entered a rehab centre in South Africa, citing alcohol dependence and depression.[54] She did not stop drinking alcohol altogether, but "reined it in".[55] On 16 April 2013, Harding received a six-month driving ban and was fined £605 after police officers caught her talking on her mobile phone while she was driving through central London.[56] Harding had nine penalty points on her licence for speeding prior to the incident.[57]

Harding wrote a memoir, Hear Me Out, which was published in 2021, documenting her life and career as well as her terminal diagnosis.[58]

Illness and death

On 26 August 2020, Harding announced that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer that had advanced to "other parts" of her body.[59] In October 2020, it was reported that she was living with her mother in Manchester upon undergoing treatment.[60] In March 2021, she stated that the disease was terminal and that she did not expect to "see another Christmas".[61][62]

Harding died of complications from breast cancer on the morning of 5 September 2021, at the age of 39.[63] Among those who paid tributes were the other members of Girls Aloud: Nadine Coyle and Nicola Roberts said they were "absolutely devastated"; Kimberley Walsh added that her "heart was broken"; and Cheryl stated that Harding would be "forever in [their] hearts".[64][65][66] A number of celebrities took to their social media and also paid tribute to Harding.[67][68][69][70] The proceeds from Harding's final single "Wear It Like a Crown" were donated to The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, which manages the Christie Hospital to fund research by the cancer treatment centre caring for Harding prior to her death.[71]

Discography

See also: Girls Aloud discography

Extended plays

Title EP details
Threads
  • Released: 7 August 2015
  • Label: Underdog Management Limited
  • Formats: digital download[72]

Singles

Title Year Album
"Threads"[72] 2015 Threads
"Wear It Like a Crown"[73] 2021 Non-album single

Other appearances

List of non-single guest appearances
Title Year Album Notes
"Real Wild Child"[74] 2008
Wild Child (soundtrack)
 A cover of Johnny O'Keefe's song.
"Too Bad"[75] 2009 St. Trinian's 2: The Legend of Fritton's Gold (soundtrack)
"Make It Easy"[75]
"Boys Keep Swinging"[75] A cover of David Bowie's song.
"2gether"
(Roger Sanchez and Far East Movement featuring Kanobby)[76] 		2011 Free Wired Harding provided uncredited guest vocals. She also appeared in the music video.

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes Ref
2002 Popstars: The Rivals Herself Contestant [77]
2005 Girls Aloud: Home Truths Herself Documentary [78]
2006 Girls Aloud: Off the Record Herself Documentary [79]
2007 St Trinian's School Band Member Cameo [28]
The Sunday Night Project Herself/co-presenter Christmas special [80]
2008 Bad Day Jade Jennings Supporting role [81]
The Passions of Girls Aloud Herself Documentary [82]
The Girls Aloud Party Herself/co-presenter ITV Music Special [83]
2009 Freefall Sam Television film; supporting role [84]
St Trinian's 2: The Legend of Fritton's Gold Roxy Main role [85]
Sarah Harding: In 24 Hours Herself Television film; documentary [86]
2011
Dating in the Dark
 		Presenter Game show [87]
2012 Girls Aloud: Ten Years at the Top Herself Documentary [88]
Run for Your Wife Stephanie Smith Main role [89]
Don't Stop Me Now Guest judge Episode 7 [90]
2014 The Voice of Ireland Herself
series 3
 [91]
Tumble Herself Contestant; runner-up [92]
2015
Celebrity MasterChef
 		Herself Contestant; series 10 [93]
Coronation Street
Joni Preston
 5 episodes [94]
2016 The Jump Herself Contestant; withdrew [95]
2017
Celebrity Big Brother 20
 		Herself Winner [96]
2020 Coronation Street: Compilations Joni Preston Archive footage

See also

References

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  68. ^ May, Brian (5 September 2021). "Sitting here wondering how to wind up this day. To be honest, 5th Sept is not a day of celebration for me … it's always tinged with darkness and unresolved feelings of regret. But this beautiful new portrait of Freddie by my dear friend Chiara @chiaratomaini reminded me that Freddie's star still burns bright - and who could have imagined that his light would reach every corner of this crowded world...In the midst of it all, another great sadness - a young and beautiful talent - Sarah Harding - struck down in the prime of her life. Sending love to her band mates tonight - I know how that feels. And heartfelt condolences to her family and friends, including you, dear Talia - I know you were very close. And so another night comes down on this side of the planet - and another dawn is on the way - another day - another sunrise - to be grateful for. Onwards, dear folks … let's not waste a second. Bri". Instagram. Archived from the original on 26 December 2021. Retrieved 6 September 2021.
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External links

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