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 Cheryl has revealed that Sarah Harding gave her blessing for Girls Aloud to reunite without her after her death. 

The singer, 40, along with Nadine Coyle, Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh announced on Wednesday that band are coming together for a greatest hits tour.

The group are planning to hit the road in May and June 2024 in recognition of this month marking 21 years since they and the late Sarah won Popstars: The Rivals. 

Sarah tragically died in September 2021 at the age of 39, after a battle with breast cancer.

And Cheryl has now divulged that Sarah had wanted her bandmates to reunite without her and even suggested the idea in her final months.

Heartwarming: Cheryl (pictured) has revealed that Sarah Harding gave her blessing for Girls Aloud to reunite without her after her death

Reunion: The singer, 40, along with Kimberley Walsh, Nicola Roberts and Nadine Coyle (pictured L-R) announced on Wednesday that band are coming together for a greatest hits tour

Reunion: The singer, 40, along with Kimberley Walsh, Nicola Roberts and Nadine Coyle (pictured L-R) announced on Wednesday that band are coming together for a greatest hits tour

Devastating: Sarah tragically died in September 2021 at the age of 39, after a battle with breast cancer. And Cheryl has now divulged that Sarah had wanted her bandmates to reunite without her and even suggested the idea in her final months (band pictured in 2012)

Devastating: Sarah tragically died in September 2021 at the age of 39, after a battle with breast cancer. And Cheryl has now divulged that Sarah had wanted her bandmates to reunite without her and even suggested the idea in her final months (band pictured in 2012)

The foursome appeared on Heart Breakfast with Jamie Theakston and Amanda Holden on Thursday morning to discuss their comeback and Sarah’s impact.

Cheryl said: ‘I did speak to Sarah one on one at one point, this was in the later stages when she was really poorly though, and she’d said to me, “I hope you four do something when I’m not here” and in that moment I couldn’t entertain that conversation. I was trying to keep her up.’

Amanda said: ‘I think she would be absolutely thrilled that you were doing this.’

Kimberley responded: ‘We always talk about how much she loved Girls Aloud. She loved it.

‘It was just the best time ever for her, we spoke so much about it the few months before she passed away and how much she loved it, she made us watch old videos, the things we’d done together, she always said we had an amazing time together.

‘Amanda you’re absolutely right, she would love that we were doing this.’

They also confirmed that Sarah’s vocals would be kept in and unchanged for the tour, and they would not be taking over her ‘iconic’ solo parts.

Nadine explained: ‘They [Sarah’s vocal parts] will remain the same, her vocal parts are big parts like ‘Walking Primrose’, she is the actual walking primrose and ‘take a walk on the wild side’, she’s got some iconic Sarah’s bits. They will be Sarah’s bits. Why would we? They are her bits.’

Reminiscing: The foursome appeared on Heart Breakfast on Thursday to discuss their comeback and Sarah's impact, with Kimberley (pictured) saying: 'She would love that we were doing this'

Reminiscing: The foursome appeared on Heart Breakfast on Thursday to discuss their comeback and Sarah’s impact, with Kimberley (pictured) saying: ‘She would love that we were doing this’

Blessing: Cheryl said: 'I did speak to Sarah one on one at one point, this was in the later stages when she was really poorly though, and she'd said to me, "I hope you four do something when I'm not here"

Blessing: Cheryl said: ‘I did speak to Sarah one on one at one point, this was in the later stages when she was really poorly though, and she’d said to me, “I hope you four do something when I’m not here”

Staying the same: Nadine (pictured) also confirmed that Sarah's vocals would be kept in and unchanged for the tour, and they would not be taking over her 'iconic' solo parts

Staying the same: Nadine (pictured) also confirmed that Sarah’s vocals would be kept in and unchanged for the tour, and they would not be taking over her ‘iconic’ solo parts

Speaking recently to British Vogue, Cheryl detailed the moment Sarah gave her blessing for a Girls Aloud reunion, admitting at the time she couldn’t fathom the idea of losing her friend and was still waiting on a ‘miracle’.

She said: ‘She [Sarah] turned to me once and said, “You know when I’m not here, you girls should do something.”

‘But when you’re face to face with someone that’s dying… We just thought some miracle was going to occur. We all thought we might be able to do something together.’ 

Elsewhere in their Heart radio interview, the band opened up on the difficulty of coming back without Sarah, and admitted it felt ‘strange’ and like ‘something definitely missing’.

Cheryl confessed: ‘It’s very strange, we’ve done a few things now in the lead up to this, and it’s all felt bizarre. 

‘Even this morning getting dressed. Sarah was always the one who would be 10/15 minutes late anyway, we’d all be waiting, and we all still feel like we’re waiting for someone else. It’s very strange the whole thing is very strange to be honest.’

Kimberley chimed in: ‘I do think of her energy, there’s something definitely missing.’

Jamie asked what the group missed the most about Sarah, and Nadine gushed: ‘Oh god. Everything really. Everything. 

Remembered: Girls Aloud also appeared on Capital Breakfast where Nicola (pictured) said: 'We have to keep her memory alive. She is part of us still and part of this'

Remembered: Girls Aloud also appeared on Capital Breakfast where Nicola (pictured) said: ‘We have to keep her memory alive. She is part of us still and part of this’

‘Just the energy, like Cheryl said, I came down this morning into the lobby and they were waiting for me and I still instinctively was like, “someone still isn’t here yet”. 

‘It took me a second to check myself and be like that’s why it feels like that. And it does still feel like that all the time. 

‘She just was, you never quite knew what you were going to get with Sarah, it was always high intense energy, “Oh my god we’re going to be late! Where’s the car? Where’s my lip gloss? Where’s my eyelash curler?”‘

Asked where the foursome would include Sarah in the tour, Nadine confirmed: ‘Absolutely, she’s such a huge part of the music, such a huge part of the group, the visuals, everything that makes Girls Aloud what it is. 

‘This is so different as a four, such a different experience, as much as we can bring in Sarah and bring her energy and everything she brought.’

Girls Aloud originally formed in 2002 on ITV ‘s Pop Stars: The Rivals and shot to fame, achieving 20 top-ten singles and five BRIT award nominations. 

The girl band took an initial break in 2009 to pursue other projects before they split for good in 2013. 

Honouring Sarah: The group plan to use the tour to 'celebrate' their late friend and explained why this was the right time for a reunion tour after coming to terms with their grief

Honouring Sarah: The group plan to use the tour to ‘celebrate’ their late friend and explained why this was the right time for a reunion tour after coming to terms with their grief 

Back in the day: Girls Aloud originally formed in 2002 on ITV 's Pop Stars: The Rivals and shot to fame, achieving 20 top-ten singles and five BRIT award nominations (pictured in 2002)

Back in the day: Girls Aloud originally formed in 2002 on ITV ‘s Pop Stars: The Rivals and shot to fame, achieving 20 top-ten singles and five BRIT award nominations (pictured in 2002)

The group also dropped into Capital Breakfast with Roman Kemp on Thursday and spoke about how they knew now was the right time for their reunion.

Cheryl said: ‘I’m not sure it will ever feel right. It will never feel how it felt, but we’re tying our best to make it as magical as we possibly can for her. With her in mind.’

Nicola added: ‘People say “I’m sorry to ask” but we want to be asked, because we have to keep her memory alive. She is part of us still and part of this.’

Listen to Heart Breakfast with Jamie Theakston and Amanda Holden weekdays from 06:30 – 10:00 and on Global Player

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This post first appeared on Daily mail