It's been a year since Sarah Harding tragically passed away - but her presence is still being felt in more ways than one. The Girls Aloud star died on this day exactly 12 months today at the age of just 39-years-old after being diagnosed with breast cancer, just weeks after revealing the disease was terminal and telling fans that Christmas 2020 was likely to have been her last.
In a statement, her mum Marie wrote: "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."
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Sarah spent her last few months raising awareness for cancer, raising money for charity and spending time with her loved ones, including her former Girls Aloud bandmates.
The band first found fame on Popstars: The Rivals in 2002 - with Sarah, Cheryl, Nadine Coyle, Kimberley Walsh and Nicola Roberts achieving 20 top 10 singles.
Sadly the band fell apart and went on a brief hiatus in 2009 so that the members could pursue solo projects, but it turned into three years apart until they reunited for their 10th annviersary.
After their single Beautiful 'Cause You Love Me failed to chart, they announced their permanent split in 2013 and the girls all went their separate ways.
There was a lot of bitterness, but the former bandmates put their differences to one side last year when Sarah revealed she was privately battling breast cancer.
During a heartbreaking FaceTime call, Cheryl "lost it" and started crying when she discovered the diagnosis and it was actually Sarah who comforted her old friend.
When lockdown was lifted, all five girls went for one final weekend away together, crying over old clips and reminiscing about the past.
"I have to say, I looked on fondly. 'You only miss this when it's gone,' I told the girls," Sarah later wrote in her book.
Sarah had moved back in with her mum after she fell ill and the pair spent their last months together laughing at old episodes of Family Guy and bonding over their shared love of roast chicken.
Tragically, on September 5 last year, Marie announced that her daughter had passed away in an emotional Instagram post - revealing she "fought so strongly from her diagnosis until her last day".
Two members of Girls Aloud believe they have been visited by the spirit of Sarah after her death - and Cheryl claimed this was actually planned.
In the 5 Minutes On podcast in July this year, Cheryl said she had made a pact with Sarah for her to 'visit' her in the afterlife.
Cheryl was convinced that Sarah had tried to communicate with her from beyond the grave when Girls Aloud song Hear Me Out came on in the car, as it's the same name as the late singer's autobiography.
"I was driving to Newcastle last year and for weeks I had been fiddling around with my car to try and get the Bluetooth working and I couldn't," explained Cheryl. "I was so infuriated with it I gave up, I let it go for a couple of months.
"I got into my car and Hear Me Out was playing, my phone wasn't on, the music hadn't been fiddled with, nothing, I hadn't even plugged it in yet and Hear Me Out was playing through the Bluetooth.
"I laughed and then I cried. What did she name the book after? Hear Me Out, it was her thing."
Cheryl had previously revealed that both she and Sarah considered themselves spiritual people and they had discussed what happens after you die.
Revealing their plan, Cheryl said: "We've also made a pact that if and when she's left us, she's going to come back and visit me.
"We haven't decided exactly what form she might take, or what sign she might give to let me know it's her, but I said I don't mind as long as she doesn't come when I'm on the loo."
But Cheryl wasn't the only member of Girls Aloud who believes they have been 'visited' by Sarah - as Nadine also thinks she was sent a message by her spirit.
Nadine, who remained close to Sarah after the band split, said the series of odd goings-on that she believes were from her late friend, happened just days after her death while filming Irish musical talent show Last Singer Standing.
Speaking on The Ryan Tubridy Show on RTE Radio 1, Nadine said: "I was so close to her in life. There's definitely been things, she's made her presence known a few times. As I was shooting the show, it was right in the middle of it all and people were being so kind.
"There was a couple of days when the headphones just flew across the table and it happened three days in a row and the makeup girls were saying, 'that has to be Sarah, there's no reason why they would fly so far.'
"And then I was talking about her one night in my house and something was flying off a shelf. I was like, 'Is this Sarah? Is she just throwing stuff?'
"It is so fresh and I'm still thinking she’s going to phone, I'm still at that stage of it. Then stuff was flying around and I was thinking, 'Could that be...?'"
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