Girls Aloud star Sarah Harding honoured in 'absolutely mint' mural in Greater Manchester town where she grew up

A mural of Girls Aloud star Sarah Harding has appeared on a wall in Stockport - the town where she grew up.

The singer, who was part of the girl band since their inception on Popstars: The Rivals in 2002, tragically passed away at the age of 39 in September 2021 after she was diagnosed with terminal breast cancer.

Later this month, the band - made up of Cheryl, Kimberley, Nadine and Nicola - will head out across the UK as part of their The Girls Aloud Show tour, which the group has said will be held as a celebration of Sarah’s life. Sarah moved to Stockport as a child and lived there before finding success on the ITV reality TV show.

READ MORE: Girls Aloud 2024 tour dates and how you can still get tickets

In what is set to be a special and poignant night for the band and their fans, Girls Aloud are set to perform in Manchester on three nights from May 23 to 25 at the AO Arena. Ahead of the tour, and to raise awareness of breast cancer, one street artist has created a stunning mural of Sarah on the side of a pub in Stockport.

The artwork, which can be found on the side of the former Royal Oak pub on High Street near the town’s Underbanks, features a portrait of the singer in front of a pink background whilst on the logo of The Christie, where Sarah was treated, sits on her shoulder.

Artist Deggy, who hails from Glossop, said he began working on the mural on Sunday before completing it on Thursday afternoon (May 2). Speaking to the M.E.N, the artist said he created the work, after receiving a grant from Stockport Council and Totally Stockport, to raise awareness of cancer and to also celebrate the singer.

“The idea came about after I began discussing ideas with my brother-in-law Matt,” Deggy, who is also the bass guitarist in rock band Gorilla Riot, explained. “He suggested Sarah, because she lived in the area, and because one of her last wishes was to raise awareness of cancers in the under 40s, which is very important.

“Once you go round the corner, she’s right there looking at you and I think it looks absolutely mint, if I do say so myself.”

But Deggy, who created a mural of Vivienne Westwood in Glossop last year, said that there is also a personal connection to the mural, which adds to its meaning for him.

“The Sarah Harding Breast Cancer Appeal is based at The Christie, which treated her,” he explained. “But they also helped treat my dad for prostate cancer. He got the all clear six weeks ago and it feels like everything has just literally come full circle and this feels like the perfect time for me to do something like this.”

As well as bringing a visual awareness of those affected by cancer, Deggy is also going to sell A2 prints of the mural - with a majority of the profits going to The Christie.

“Not only have I got to paint something cool on a building but I hope it will help support the work they do,” he explained. “They cured my dad this year, so it’s nice to give something back.”

And Deggy, who admits he cannot name a single Girls Aloud song and is more into Motörhead, said he is proud that the town’s council has got behind street art and how it can transform areas.

He said: “Not everyone can afford art but everybody should be able to appreciate it, and if you put it on a street then I feel that’s a perfect example of that. It’s great to have these great big walls to work on and get your vision across. There’s nothing more satisfying than taking a step back and saying, ‘that’s pretty cool’.

“It’s really rewarding and the times are changing, people are becoming a lot more open minded nowadays. It’s great seeing it embraced by people.”

Deggy, who was joined by other artists to help create the work, said he also hopes that Girls Aloud will come to see the mural for themselves when they visit Manchester later this month. “It would be great if they came down to see it,” he said. “How special would that be? It’d be another full circle moment.”

He added: “When I was working on this project, you’d have seen me in my Motörhead T-shirt painting Girls Aloud but that doesn’t matter, it’s about spreading the message. Being able to do that through art is one of the best things in the world.”

A2 prints of the art work will will be available to buy on Deggy’s website. You can also follow him on Instagram here. More information about The Sarah Harding Breast Cancer Appeal can be found here.