‘I’ve never experienced this grief’: Emotional Cheryl pays tribute to Sarah Harding as Girls Aloud publicly reunite for the first time in NINE years for Race For Life 5K run – 11 months after star’s death from breast cancer

• Sarah died aged 39 in September last year after being diagnosed with breast cancer, which then spread to other parts of her body 
• Cheryl, Nadine Coyle and Nicola Roberts were all in Hyde Park for the event while Kimberley Walsh completed the walk remotely 
• Thousands of fans gathered in the park to take part in the cause, with the band hoping to raise funds for a medical kit to help detect cancer earlier 
• Cheryl gave a candid speech to the crowd before the race where she admitted she didn’t anticipate the level of grief she would feel following Sarah’s passing 
• She said: ‘To be honest, I’ve never experienced or anticipated this grief
• ‘You know, I’ve lost grandparents when I was younger and I lost a friend when I was younger but nothing like this, the feeling of shock and disbelief and it still lingers now to be honest. I still can’t quite believe it’s real’  
• Girls Aloud rose to fame when they were put together on the show Popstars: The Rivals in 2002 – and became one of the most successful bands in history 

The members of Girls Aloud reunited in Hyde Park on Sunday for the first time in nine years as they paid tribute to the life of their late bandmate Sarah Harding.

Cheryl, Nadine Coyle, Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh took part in the Race for Life for Sarah 5k event in order to raise money for breast cancer, marking their first public appearance together since 2013.

Sarah died aged 39 in September last year after being diagnosed with breast cancer, which then spread to other parts of her body.

An emotional Cheryl, 39, paid tribute to her late bandmate in a speech to the crowds, admitting she never ‘anticipated or experienced’ the level of grief she would feel since Sarah’s passing. 

Reunited: The members of Girls Aloud reunited in Hyde Park on Sunday for the first time in nine years as they paid tribute to the life of their late bandmate Sarah Harding

Cheryl, Nadine and Nicola were all in Hyde Park for the event while Kimberley completed the walk remotely. 

Kimberley did make an appearance later as she did an Instagram Live with the other girls following the race. 

Thousands of fans gathered in the park to take part in the cause, with the band hoping to raise funds for a medical kit to help detect cancer earlier.

Tragedy: Sarah died aged 39 in September last year after being diagnosed with breast cancer, which then spread to other parts of her body

Success: Sarah and the rest of Girls Aloud rose to fame when they were put together on the show Popstars: The Rivals in 2002 (pictured in 2006)

Event: Cheryl, Nadine Coyle, Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh took part in the Race for Life for Sarah 5k event in order to raise money for breast cancer, marking their first public appearance together since 2013

Cheryl said: ‘To be honest, I’ve never experienced or anticipated this grief. 

‘You know, I’ve lost grandparents when I was younger and I lost a friend when I was younger but nothing like this, the feeling of shock and disbelief and it still lingers now to be honest. I still can’t quite believe it’s real.’

The event comes soon after Cheryl told MailOnline her feelings of ‘helplessness was extremely overwhelming’ when Sarah disclosed that her cancer couldn’t be cured.

She said: ‘I asked her so much to give me something I could do to make her happy or comfortable, anything at all.

Together again: Nicola, Cheryl and Nadine were all in Hyde Park for the event while Kimberley completed the walk remotely

Stage: Thousands of fans gathered in the park to take part in the cause, with the band hoping to raise funds for a medical kit to help detect cancer earlier

Emotional: Cheryl gave a candid speech to the crowd before the race where she admitted she didn’t anticipate the level of grief she would feel following Sarah’s passing

She said: ‘To be honest, I’ve never experienced or anticipated this grief’ (pictured with Michelle Mitchell, the Chief Executive of Cancer Research UK)

‘Towards the end, she asked me to create a gala in her honour to fund a crucial study that her doctor was working on so I am committed to doing just that.’

Nadine added: ‘She talked to us all about this several times. Sarah felt really passionately about wanting to help other people in the same situation as her, or who could be at risk of finding themselves in the same situation she was in.

‘She really wanted to do some fundraising herself, but sadly just wasn’t well enough, so we promised her we would do it for her.

‘She’d have loved the Race For Life – she’d have loved to have been involved. We know for sure she will be there with us in spirit on July 24 in Hyde Park.’

Cheryl added: ‘You know, I’ve lost grandparents when I was younger and I lost a friend when I was younger but nothing like this, the feeling of shock and disbelief and it still lingers now to be honest. I still can’t quite believe it’s real’

Good cause: Nicola sported a Race For Life T-shirt and black leggings as she took part in the run

Heartbreaking: Cheryl told MailOnline her feelings of ‘helplessness was extremely overwhelming’ when Sarah disclosed that her cancer couldn’t be cured

Live: Cheryl and Nicola greeted fans on Instagram Live following the race 

Greeting: Nadine finished the race last and joined Nicola to say hello to Kimberley

Abroad: Kimberley phoned in just after finishing her race remotely 

‘How it started’: Kimberley shared a snap of herself prior to heading off on the run

‘Team Sarah’: Kimberley was joined by several family members on her run

Kimberley said: ‘She talked to us about this when we were all together and individually. 

‘We all want to be as proactive as possible to help raise as much money in her name as we can. We promised her we would.’ 

Nicola said the girls would have raised funds for breast cancer even if Sarah hadn’t asked them, as it will help their many fans who are ‘in the same fight she was in’. 

When asked why it was important for The Promise hitmakers to come together for the race, Cheryl said: ‘Sarah was such an integral part of us all.

Together: The trio looked in good spirits to be together again as they welcomed their fans to the park

Cheryl said of Sarah: ‘I asked her so much to give me something I could do to make her happy or comfortable, anything at all’

She added: ‘Towards the end, she asked me to create a gala in her honour to fund a crucial study that her doctor was working on so I am committed to doing just that’

Nadine added: ‘She talked to us all about this several times. Sarah felt really passionately about wanting to help other people in the same situation as her, or who could be at risk of finding themselves in the same situation she was in’

Radiant: Cheryl was all smiles as she began the race alongside hundreds of supporters

‘It is the most natural thing to do for Sarah and her legacy to come together in support of her and others who may be going through the same devastation we experienced.’

Nadine added: ‘When we were asked if we’d like to do this we all said yes straight away. I think it’s such a crucial cause and we’d like to do all we can to help.’

Kimberley chimed in: ‘When Sarah was sick we all felt so helpless. I think she’d be really happy we’re all doing this.’

She continued: ‘Sarah wanted us to raise money for the Christie Hospital where she was treated.

Nadine added: ‘She really wanted to do some fundraising herself, but sadly just wasn’t well enough, so we promised her we would do it for her’ 

Plans: Girls Aloud are planning other fundraising activities in 2022, culminating in a huge gala dinner in the next few months, with more details coming soon

Cheryl explained: ‘We have a gala dinner planned for later this year in Sarah’s honour and at her request. We will be collaborating with Cancer Research UK to raise funding and awareness’

‘Beyond that we’ll always do what we can to help raise money and awareness for cancer and breast cancer awareness.’

Girls Aloud are planning other fundraising activities in 2022, culminating in a huge gala dinner in the next few months, with more details coming soon.

Cheryl explained: ‘We have a gala dinner planned for later this year in Sarah’s honour and at her request. We will be collaborating with Cancer Research UK to raise funding and awareness.’

Heartbreaking: Sarah’s mother Marie confirmed her daughter’s passing in an Instagram post, saying she ‘slipped away peacefully’ and called her a ‘bright shining star’ (pictured in 2018)

Open book: Sarah documented her cancer battle in memoir, Hear Me Out, and shared this snap when she first revealed her diagnosis publicly in August 2020 

Nicola detailed how they’ve been ‘asking big companies to put their hands in their pockets’ in order to support the crucial cause.

She said: ‘I’m happy with what we have planned and feel we’ve successfully set out to do what we wanted in making everyone feel included but make a big monetary difference for the charities.’ 

Sarah and the rest of Girls Aloud rose to fame when they were put together on the show Popstars: The Rivals in 2002.

Sarah’s mother Marie confirmed her daughter’s passing in an Instagram post, saying she ‘slipped away peacefully’ and called her a ‘bright shining star’.  

History makers: Girls Aloud at pictured at the Brit Awards in 2009 – where they won the Best British Single gong  

Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in the world and affects more than two MILLION women a year

Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in the world. Each year in the UK there are more than 55,000 new cases, and the disease claims the lives of 11,500 women. In the US, it strikes 266,000 each year and kills 40,000. But what causes it and how can it be treated?

What is breast cancer?

Breast cancer develops from a cancerous cell which develops in the lining of a duct or lobule in one of the breasts.

When the breast cancer has spread into surrounding breast tissue it is called an ‘invasive’ breast cancer. Some people are diagnosed with ‘carcinoma in situ’, where no cancer cells have grown beyond the duct or lobule.

Most cases develop in women over the age of 50 but younger women are sometimes affected. Breast cancer can develop in men though this is rare.

Staging means how big the cancer is and whether it has spread. Stage 1 is the earliest stage and stage 4 means the cancer has spread to another part of the body.

The cancerous cells are graded from low, which means a slow growth, to high, which is fast growing. High grade cancers are more likely to come back after they have first been treated.

What causes breast cancer?

A cancerous tumour starts from one abnormal cell. The exact reason why a cell becomes cancerous is unclear. It is thought that something damages or alters certain genes in the cell. This makes the cell abnormal and multiply ‘out of control’.

Although breast cancer can develop for no apparent reason, there are some risk factors that can increase the chance of developing breast cancer, such as genetics.

What are the symptoms of breast cancer?

The usual first symptom is a painless lump in the breast, although most breast lumps are not cancerous and are fluid filled cysts, which are benign. 

The first place that breast cancer usually spreads to is the lymph nodes in the armpit. If this occurs you will develop a swelling or lump in an armpit.

How is breast cancer diagnosed?

• Initial assessment: A doctor examines the breasts and armpits. They may do tests such as a mammography, a special x-ray of the breast tissue which can indicate the possibility of tumours.
• Biopsy: A biopsy is when a small sample of tissue is removed from a part of the body. The sample is then examined under the microscope to look for abnormal cells. The sample can confirm or rule out cancer.

If you are confirmed to have breast cancer, further tests may be needed to assess if it has spread. For example, blood tests, an ultrasound scan of the liver or a chest x-ray.

How is breast cancer treated?

Treatment options which may be considered include surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and hormone treatment. Often a combination of two or more of these treatments are used.

• Surgery: Breast-conserving surgery or the removal of the affected breast depending on the size of the tumour.
• Radiotherapy: A treatment which uses high energy beams of radiation focussed on cancerous tissue. This kills cancer cells, or stops cancer cells from multiplying. It is mainly used in addition to surgery.
• Chemotherapy: A treatment of cancer by using anti-cancer drugs which kill cancer cells, or stop them from multiplying
• Hormone treatments: Some types of breast cancer are affected by the ‘female’ hormone oestrogen, which can stimulate the cancer cells to divide and multiply. Treatments which reduce the level of these hormones, or prevent them from working, are commonly used in people with breast cancer.

How successful is treatment?

The outlook is best in those who are diagnosed when the cancer is still small, and has not spread. Surgical removal of a tumour in an early stage may then give a good chance of cure.

The routine mammography offered to women between the ages of 50 and 70 mean more breast cancers are being diagnosed and treated at an early stage.

For more information visit breastcancercare.org.uk, breastcancernow.org or www.cancerhelp.org.uk

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