Girls Aloud singer Sarah Harding dies aged 39

The pop star lost her battle against breast cancer, just a year after she made news of the diagnosis public

(FILES) In this file photo taken on July 24, 2011, Sarah Harding from the group 'Girls Aloud' meets with fans as she arrives at the premiere of the film,' Horrid Henry', in central London on July 24, 2011. - Girls Aloud singer Sarah Harding has died at the age of 39, her mother has said in a post on Instagram. (Photo by MAX NASH / AFP)

Girls Aloud members Kimberley Walsh, Nadine Coyle, Cheryl Tweedy, Sarah Harding and Nicola Roberts perform on stage for the Radio 1 Christmas Party on December 12, 2004 at the Shepherds Bush Empire in London. Getty Images

Sarah Harding arrives at the Capital FM Awards at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London March 23, 2005. Reuters

Sarah Harding poses for photographers as the Face and Body of Ultimo in a central London department store December 5, 2006. Reuters

Sarah Harding poses at the launch of the new 'Ultimo lingerie' department in Debenhams Oxford street store, London November 12, 2007. Reuters

Sarah Harding arrives for the World Premiere of 'St Trinian's 2: The Legend of Fritton's Gold' at Leicester Square in London December 9, 2009. Reuters

Sarah Harding arrives in London's Leicester Square for the World Premiere of her latest film 'St. Trinian's 2, The Legend of Fritton's Gold '. AFP

FILE - In this Wednesday. Feb. 18, 2009 file photo, British group Girls Aloud, from left, Nadine Coyle, Kimberly Walsh, Sarah Harding, Nicola Roberts and Cheryl Cole arrive at the Brit Awards 2009 at Earls Court exhibition centre in London, England. Harding, of British pop group Girls Aloud, has died after a battle with breast cancer, her mother said Sunday, Sept. 5, 2021. She was 39. The singer said last August that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer and it had spread to other parts of her body. (AP Photo / Joel Ryan, File)

Sarah Harding arrives for the 2010 Empire Film Awards at a hotel in central London. AP Photo

Girls Aloud perform live on stage during BBC Children In Need, London. PA Images via Getty Images)

Kimberley Walsh, Nicola Roberts, Nadine Coyle, Cheryl Cole and Sarah Harding of Girls Aloud perform on stage at the Metro Radio Arena on February 21, 2013 in Newcastle. Getty Images

Girls Aloud singer Sarah Harding has died aged 39, a year after being diagnosed with breast cancer.

Her death was announced by her mother through her Instagram profile. “It’s with deep heartbreak that today I’m sharing the news that my beautiful daughter Sarah has sadly passed away,” the post read.

“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. 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.”

The pop star went public about her diagnoses in August 2020, with the hope that she could help others.

"Nothing is certain any more," the singer told The Times. "I'm just grateful to wake up every day and live my best life, because now I know just how precious it is."

“In December my doctor told me that the upcoming Christmas would probably be my last,” she wrote in Hear Me Out, her memoir, adding that she is “trying to live and enjoy every second of my life, however long it might be”.

Harding said she delayed having to a see a doctor because of the pandemic. “At first I thought it was just a cyst. The trouble was the pain was getting worse. It got so bad that I couldn't sleep in a bed. Eventually my skin started to bruise. By now I was terrified,” she writes.

“One day I woke up realising I'd been in denial. Yes there was a pandemic, but it was almost as if I'd been using that as an excuse not to face up to the fact that something was very wrong.”

She was then diagnosed with an advanced-stage breast cancer, which had spread to other parts of her body.

The singer shot to fame in 2002 as part of UK talent show Popstars: the Rivals, which led to the formation of Girls Aloud with four others: Cheryl Tweedy, Nadine Coyle, Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh.

Their debut single, Sound of the Underground, topped the UK charts that year. The group went on to achieve a string of 20 consecutive top 10 singles in the UK, including four No 1s, until their split in 2013.

Harding also starred in long-running British series Coronation Street. In 2017, she won the reality show Celebrity Big Brother.