‘How disrespectful!’ BBC Breakfast slammed by viewers after getting Sarah Harding’s name wrong in tribute interview following her death from breast cancer

• Sarah Harding died aged 39 following a battle with breast cancer
• The singer’s mother Marie confirmed her death in a statement on Sunday 
• BBC Breakfast aired an interview on Monday morning where Lizzie Cundy had been paying tribute to Sarah 
• Across the screen, Sarah’s name appeared as ‘Sarah Hardy’ with viewers calling out the broadcaster on Twitter for the mishap  

BBC Breakfast has been slammed by viewers after accidentally getting Sarah Harding’s name wrong in an interview paying tribute to the star following her death.

News of the former Girls Aloud star’s death was confirmed by her mother Marie on Sunday, with Sarah passing away, aged 39, 13-months after her breast cancer diagnosis. 

During BBC Breakfast’s broadcast on Monday morning, Lizzie Cundy had been paying tribute to Sarah, with viewers noticing the singer’s name appearing as ‘Sarah Hardy’ onscreen. 

Outrage: BBC Breakfast has been slammed by viewers online after accidentally getting Sarah Harding’s name wrong in an interview paying tribute to the star following her death

The caption across the screen during the interview read: ‘Lizzie Cundy, Friend of Sarah Hardy.’ 

Noticing the mistake, many viewers flocked to Twitter to share their outrage as they called out BBC Breakfast and questioned the attention to detail. 

‘BBC Breakfast interview regarding the death of Sarah Harding put up a caption saying Sarah Hardy. So important to get those details right, especially when dealing with grief. Do better @BBCBreakfast,’ urged one viewer. 

Another vented: ‘Shame on you BBC for the banner this morning on @BBCBreakfast quoting Sarah Hardy and not Harding!’

Heartbreaking: The former Girls Aloud star died aged 39 following a battle with breast cancer

‘Do better’: Viewers flocked to Twitter calling out BBC Breakfast for the mishap and urging the show to ‘do better’ as they slammed the attention to detail

A third tweeted: ‘It’s Sarah Harding not Sarah Hardy! – attention to detail not good especially at this awfully sad time.’

One more hit out at the mistake, posting: ‘Who’s Sarah Hardy? At least get her name right on the caption. Pretty lazy and disrespectful.’

‘Come On! Sarah Hardy? If you’re going to do a sentimental piece of someone who has passed away, at least get the bloody name right on the banner,’ penned another. 

MailOnline has reached out to a spokesperson for BBC Breakfast.  

In the interview, Lizzie was seen remembering Sarah and recalled how the pair ‘instantly got on’ when they first met nearly two decades ago. 

‘I first met her back in 2002, can you believe it? When they first made it into the band Girls Aloud,’ Lizzie revealed. 

‘Sarah and I instantly got on, She had this bright smile you would just gravitate to. Whatever is is, she had that X Factor, that something special Sarah had it.’

Fond memories: Lizzie recalled first meeting Sarah nearly two decades ago and fondly remembered the star’s ‘bright smile’ as she revealed the pair ‘instantly got on’

‘A bright shining star’: Sarah’s mother Marie confirmed news of her death in a statement

Sarah died following a battle with breast cancer, with her mum confirming her death in a statement. The star passed away 13 months after confirming her cancer diagnosis. 

It read: ‘It’s with deep heartbreak that today I’m sharing the news that my beautiful daughter Sarah has sadly passed away. 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.’ 

The statement continued: ‘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. Marie.’ 

Sarah revealed her breast cancer diagnosis in August 2020 during lockdown – shocking fans on Twitter as she revealed she had been battling the disease in private. 

Fame: Sarah shot to fame in girlband Girls Aloud alongside Kimberley Walsh, Nicola Roberts, Cheryl and Nadine Coyle (pictured above L-R in 2012)

She told her followers at the time that she had been battling cancer for several months with weekly chemotherapy sessions. 

Sarah shot to fame on Popstars: The Rivals in 2002 where she was placed into Girls Aloud alongside Cheryl, Kimberley Walsh, Nicola Roberts and Nadine Coyle.

Tributes flooded in for the star following news of her death, with her former Girls Aloud bandmates remembering Sarah on social media. 

Cheryl posted a statement to Instagram, as she told fans she was at a ‘loss for words’. 

She penned: ‘Although we knew this day would arrive I am somehow still feeling at a loss for words that our stunning, unique, crazy, quirky, kind and soft hearted girl has departed. As I try to navigate my way through these painfully strange and horribly unfamiliar waves of disbelief & finality I am experiencing, I wanted to extend my condolences to all of our GA fans. 

‘I love you Sarah’: Tributes flooded in for the star following news of her death, with Cheryl telling fans she was at a ‘loss for words’ in a tribute she shared to Instgram

‘We were like an extended family for so long and we know so many of you by name. I wanted to make sure you knew just how much your love and continued support meant to Sarah through her most vulnerable times. She was so grateful and you really lifted her spirits when she needed you most. I also realise so many will be deeply affected by the circumstances of Sarah’s passing… 

‘I am sending you all so much love. I love you Sarah… farewell. Sarah Nicole Harding forever in our hearts.’

Alongside a series of snaps of her and Sarah together, Kimberley shared: ‘Beautiful Sarah this hurts so bad. To wake up and know that you are really gone is too much to bear. Hearing your infectious chuckle was one of my favourite things in the world. Your fire burned so bright and you loved, lived and laughed so hard. Sending love and strength to everyone who is grieving today. My heart is broken.’

Tribute: Alongside a series of photos of her and Sarah, Kimberley penned, ‘Beautiful Sarah this hurts so bad.To wake up and know that you are really gone is too much to bear’

Sad: Nicola shared throwbacks of herself and Sarah shooting Sound Of The Underground’s music video in 2002 as she told fans she was ‘absolutely devastated’

Nicola said ‘my heart is aching’ as she posted photos of the pair on their first video shoot for Sound of the Underground back in 2002. 

She wrote: ‘I’m absolutely devastated and I can’t accept that this day has come. My heart is aching and all day everything we went through together has raced round my mind. 

‘Especially this last year since her diagnosis, as hard as the year has been, our new memories are strong in my heart. There are so many things to say and at first it felt to personal to put them here and then I remembered that there are so many other people grieving her too.

‘A part of me or us isn’t here anymore and it’s unthinkable and painful and utterly cruel. She would have loved your messages today.

‘Electric girl, you made us. You gave it everything and still with a smile. A white butterfly flew past my window this morning before I knew, it must have been you.’

Nadine wrote: ‘I am absolutely devastated!! I can’t think of words that could possibly express how I feel about this girl & what she means to me!! I know so many of you will be feeling this way. For now I’m sending so much love to you!!!’

Girls Aloud achieved twenty consecutive top ten singles – including four number ones – in the UK and six platinum studio albums before the band took a hiatus in 2009. 

Devastating: Sarah confirmed her cancer diagnosis in August 2020 during lockdown 

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