Yahoo News Cheryl shares how Sarah Harding's 'spirit' is with Girls Aloud in hidden nod to cancer battle on tour
Girls Aloud fans have been heaping praise on bandmates Cheryl, Nadine Coyle, Kimberley Walsh and Nicola Roberts as they returned to the stage for the first time in more than 10 years with a nostalgic trip down memory lane and tear-jerking tributes to the late Sarah Harding.
It was last year that the band confirmed they'd be hitting the road once again with Girls Aloud The Show, to fan hysteria, and they have since dedicated the string of shows, which started in May and will continue until the end of June, to their late friend and bandmate Sarah, who was diagnosed with cancer and died in September 2021 aged 39.
During the concert, the foursome perform a duet with Sarah, whose vocals to the song I’ll Stand By You play as the group sing along live on-stage. They later perform one of their biggest bits, The Promise, which sees Sarah appear on screen, singing her part of the song on her own.
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As the tour continues in Birmingham, before a string of five shows at London's 02 and ending in Liverpool at the M&S Bank Arena, Cheryl revealed for the first time why they chose Shakira's track 'Waka Waka' to play out in each venues as a signal of their imminent arrival on to the stage.
Speaking at Birmingham's Resorts World Arena on Wednesday night (June 19) during their second of three shows in the West Midlands, Cheryl spoke to fans on stage and opened up for the first time about the poignancy of the song choice and how it means Sarah's 'spirit' is with them right from the off.
She said in videos circulating on social media: "That was Sarah's favourite song while she was going through all of her stuff. It would get her up, dancing and singing and she'd be on FaceTime like [dancing] 'Waka, Waka, eh, eh!' And it made us happy to see her happy in those darker times.
"So we wanted the spirit of Sarah to start at the very beginning with us to start for you guys." Cheryl added: "The next thing we hear is you guys roar and there's nothing better than that sound, so thank you so much, you have been amazing!"
@CoopyJ, one of those who captured the moment, said on X: "This was a special moment that I don't think has been shared yet on the tour, to my knowledge. Tonight in Birmingham - Cheryl explaining why they play Shakira's Waka Waka as the last song before the girls come on #TheGirlsAloudShow." @GalleryAloud also shared: "Cheryl told us tonight that they play Waka Waka at the start because it was Sarah’s favourite song and she used to dance to it on FaceTime."
The singers won Popstars: The Rivals in 2002 and formed Girls Aloud, going on to achieve four UK number one singles and a Brit award for track The Promise. They reunited with new music for their 10th anniversary in 2012, while a second reunion was planned for their 20th anniversary when Sarah was diagnosed with cancer.
