Sarah Harding became known as the ‘wild’ one of Girls Aloud, always up for a good time, but away from the cameras, she was far from this, yes she liked fun, but I saw a different side to her, writes Daniel Bird
I got to know Sarah Harding, and she was the kindest soul I’ve ever known. We were beyond lucky to have her in our lives(Image: Daniel Bird)
Five years ago today, I felt pain that I didn’t know I could experience. I was getting ready to start work at 3pm and received a call to say Sarah Harding had died, and it would be made public shortly. She was only 39 years old, I remember thinking, “How is this fair? Why Sarah?!” I was angry and hurt, and felt as though I’d been winded.
It was a call and a social media post I hoped I would never see. I knew Sarah was ill, but I didn’t want to believe the severity of it. She was a fighter, and boy, did she put up a fight after being diagnosed with breast cancer, which sadly metastasised to various parts of her body.
Growing up, I was a huge fan of Girls Aloud (to the point my friends called me Danadine), and when the group disbanded in 2013, I was gutted. I was at their final concert just hours before that Twitlonger confirming their split, which was devastating. But life had a funny way of working out.
It was a few months later; I’d finished sixth form and was preparing for university, and Sarah was back in Manchester, working on her debut solo album, which, sadly, never materialised. But Sarah, being, well, Sarah… Tweeted where she was staying – so off I went with a group of friends to meet her.
Sarah had already interacted with me on social media, mainly pictures of my dogs, who she absolutely loved. When she came downstairs, I just heard “Where are the dogs?!” – that was the real Sarah. Despite the fame that came along with Girls Aloud, she was a genuine, down-to-earth northerner who took me and a handful of friends into her hotel.
We sat with her for a good hour or so, just chatting, and it was at this point that I got to know the woman I’d seen on TV and listened to for so many years. Like Sarah, I could talk for England and told her my 18th birthday was coming up…
Cheekily, when she ordered us all food and drink, I said “I’ll have a vodka and coke, please?” – it was a good try, but she didn’t fall for it, but she laughed knowing I was just like her, she sat drinking French Martini’s and said I would like them (when I was old enough)… It took me a few years to get into them.
The rest of the week was spent with Sarah, seeing her in Manchester. One day, she asked for details for my party (I may have told her about it…) and said she would be there, with her former boyfriend, which took me by surprise.
I could never have expected that. The day arrived, and I didn’t expect Sarah to show up. Why would she? But I received a message from her saying that she had a last-minute job and she was genuinely sorry she couldn’t make it.
To me, that’s all that mattered – she remembered, and she didn’t have to. The next few weeks saw me celebrating being able to go out properly with friends, and a lot of rather questionable pictures posted on Twitter and Instagram – which Sarah found hilarious.
Results day came; I got into my first-choice university and posted about it online. Sarah was in Los Angeles at the time, working when I got a message asking for my Skype details (it was before FaceTime and WhatsApp calls). Taking time out of her day, we spoke on the phone for a good ten minutes while I was getting ready to go out. Again, she never needed to do this, but Sarah wasn’t cut from the same cloth as most people.
And again, came the drunken pictures posted on social media, which, as Sarah said… were the “trials and tribulations of being a legal drinker.” And oh, she was right, I didn’t enjoy the feeling the next day, but I’m glad she had a laugh about it – somebody had to!
Sarah was just launching her solo career, working on music and preparing for her solo showcase gig, which I had to miss and was honestly gutted about – but she didn’t mind, instead, she completely understood that for once, university had to come first and just told me to have fun and enjoy it.
We spoke frequently via private messages, although it took some time to get a reply from Sarah as she wasn’t always the best at replying, which I ironically mocked her for, but I’ve now become that friend who replies to people weeks later. Many of our messages will remain private, as they should, but I will always cherish the memories and the bond I built with Sarah over the years.
To her, I was “Ginge”, “cheeki face”, “nutter”, “lovely”, and most importantly “trouble,” mostly with a capital T. Sarah was known to thousands as “Hardcore Harding,” after being pictured at various events and leaving bars, something which the vast majority of people do, but of course, her enjoyment came with stardom so she was always pictured.
Indeed, she was Hardcore, which is probably why we got on so well and why I’m still friends with some of Sarah’s pals; she loved people like her. But there was one edge I had on her; she always became shy and giggly whenever the success of Girls Aloud was brought up.
But let’s face it, 21 Top Ten hits, four Number 1 singles, four Top 10 albums, a Number One album and a BRIT Award, as well as performing at Wembley Stadium – that deserves to be celebrated, and I would always preach about this. It wasn’t just music which Sarah loved; she landed a role in Coronation Street, a soap opera close to where she grew up in Manchester, and that role meant so much to her.
She loved acting, whether on the small or big screen, and I cannot express how happy I am that people got to see a different side of the woman so many knew about but didn’t realise just how talented she truly was. One year, a friend and I rallied around to send Sarah a birthday gift – a pair of Alexander McQueen sunglasses, which she loved, as well as 100 bags of Skittles, after she told me just how much she loved them.
Most people in her position wouldn’t acknowledge this, but that wasn’t Sarah. Instead, I was flooded with messages from somebody who was so grateful that people would go out of their way for her. That’s the Sarah I knew, the happy, grounded and caring northener who never let her incredible fame change her.
The day Sarah announced her diagnosis, I will never forget that horrible moment. I was driving back to my family home from Sheffield and saw it pop up. I instantly pulled my car over, took the keys out and sent her a message. I wasn’t expecting a reply from her, but I knew she would have read my message.
We spoke occasionally after that, with our last message being a couple of months before she sadly died, something I’ll never forget. Despite the pain she was in, Sarah put up a tremendous fight and continued to shine. She found time to write her memoir, Hear Me Out, and to release what I think is one of the best singles, Wear It Like A Crown, with the proceeds going to The Christie, where she was being treated.
Sarah even instructed her bandmates, Cheryl Tweedy, Nicola Roberts, Kimberley Walsh and Nadine Coyle to continue with Girls Aloud after her death. And my word, they delivered the most beautiful tribute to her on their 2024 tour, The Girls Aloud Show. Throughout the concert, Sarah’s memory was kept very much alive, with her iconic “Take a walk on the wild side of life,” from Something New, being played across the arenas.
As the band wrapped up their performance, a huge screen appeared on stage during The Promise, allowing Sarah to shine once again as she belted out: “So here I am, a walking primrose, wondering when I’m gonna see you again,” as fans and the band cheered for the late star. Moments before the four girls walked off stage, a photograph of Sarah appeared behind them alongside the text: “In loving memory of Sarah Nicole Harding. 17.11.81 05.09.2021.”
Keeping her legacy alive, the girls are behind The Sarah Harding Breast Cancer Appeal, in partnership with The Christie, raising vital funds to detect breast cancer early. To date, over £1.2million has been raised for the Appeal, allowing them to actively test women aged between 30 and 29, to build an early prediction and prevent the cruel, cruel disease.
Sarah would love this, knowing she’s helping to save the lives of other young women. Her legacy will always live on, I mean, I quite literally have a tattoo for her, but the meaning behind that is something that Sarah and I will know about.
It still hasn’t sunk in that Sarah is no longer here, but I will always cherish the times I spent with her, the messages we exchanged and the memories she gave me, growing up as a Girls Aloud fan. She had the most infectious smile and laugh and could instantly brighten any room she walked into. She was unapologetically herself and lived life to the max.
If there’s one thing people can take away from Sarah, it’s just be you – unapologetically you. Don’t be bitter, glitter. Sarah, Hardcore, Sozzle – this French Martini is for you. Rest In Peace, you absolute legend.
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