Sarah Harding’s life in the spotlight had never been easy. She had only just won her place in Girls Aloud when she faced her first public battle as fans of Popstars: The Rivals wrongly claimed another contestant had been robbed of a spot.
And so within hours of victory, Sarah learned a lesson: with every high can come a shocking low.
At first, she lived the pop star life, a stunning 20-something, enjoying the London party scene. Then came the hard times – rehab, the break-up of the band, the loss of her friend Amy Winehouse, and the failed relationships with men who didn’t appreciate how lucky they were.
Thanks to her love of music, Sarah always got back up. Indeed, she was reinventing herself as a blues artist when she got her cancer diagnosis.
Even as she faced her final days, Sarah was positive. In her recent book, Hear Me Out, she wrote: “What a wonderfully full and colourful life I’ve had. A life I’m very grateful for.”
There were no regrets, just that positivity and a will to fight.
The same will which, until today, made one hope Sarah could bounce back one more time.
