Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Chronicle Live
Chronicle Live
Entertainment
Simon Duke

Girls Aloud hit number 1 on iTunes after Hear Me Out campaign for Sarah Harding

Girls Aloud are back at the top of the charts with a song that has never actually been released as a single.

And it's all down to a campaign by fans in honour of Sarah Harding as she battles cancer.

Last summer Sarah, 39, revealed she had had been diagnosed with breast cancer which had unfortunately spread to other parts of her body in news that broke the hearts of her former bandmates and their legions of fans.

On Thursday, Sarah released autobiography Hear Me Out, which takes its name from a track from Girls Aloud's second album What Will The Neighbours Say, released back in 2004.

Girls Aloud at Capital Jinglebell Ball in 2012 (PA)

Days before the book's launch, fans launched a campaign to get the song to the top of the iTunes charts and by Thursday morning that is exactly what happened.

Overwhelmed by all the support on her book, Sarah took to Instagram to post: " I can’t thank everyone enough for all the kind and loving messages that I’ve received since the weekend. It means so much to me and to my mum. Today’s a special day because it’s publication day for Hear Me Out.

"At last. I actually can’t believe I’ve done it! What started out a dream idea last summer is now a reality. I hope you enjoy reading my story."

At the weekend, Sarah revealed in The Times that she'd been told Christmas 2020 would probably be her last.

Her book was serialised in The Times and Girls Aloud bandmate Cheryl revealed to the publication that she struggled to keep her emotions in check when Sarah shared "terrible news" with her.

She told them: "Mostly, I try to keep my own emotions in check, but on one FaceTime call with her the other day, I couldn't hold it in.

"She relayed some terrible news, and I lost it and started crying."

Cheryl, 37, added that she tried to turn the phone away so Sarah couldn't see her cry, adding: "The mad thing is, it ended up with Sarah comforting me."

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.