Girls Aloud fans moved to tears by Sarah Harding tribute on her 43rd birthday
Audience members at The Girls Aloud Show: Live At The O2 were moved to tears on Sunday during a emotional homage to their late band member Sarah Harding, which coincided with what would have been her 43rd birthday.
Sarah sadly lost her life in 2021 at the age of 39 following her fight against breast cancer.
To pay tribute to her, Nadine Coyle, Cheryl, Nicola Roberts, and Kimberley Walsh came together earlier this year for a tour across the UK, which concluded with a performance at the O2 that has now been aired on ITV.
During the performance, the group gave a heartfelt interpretation of "I'll Stand By You," showcasing Sarah's singing alongside a collection of her moments on screen. While they performed, the four of them held hands, clearly providing emotional support to each other in a touching scene.
The tribute featured black-and-white clips of Sarah in action, which were later followed by a heartfelt video compilation honoring her life.
The section wrapped up with a powerful reminder: "The deepest darkness brings out the brightest stars."
After the heartfelt performance, fans flooded social media to praise the tribute.
Sarah, who is seen in the 2008 photo, sadly lost her life at the age of 39 in 2021 after fighting against breast cancer.
One person wrote, “I’m crying while listening to Stand By You, rest in peace Sarah Harding,” while another commented, “What a beautiful homage to Sarah Harding.”
One person commented, "Hearing Girls Aloud perform with Sarah Harding really moved me."
“If you’re not in tears, you’re not really human! What a beautiful tribute to Sarah,” one person shared. Another added, “The girls honored Sarah beautifully! The performance was truly spectacular.”
A fan expressed, "Aww, today would have been Sarah Harding's 43rd birthday. Wishing her a wonderful birthday in heaven."
"Watching Girls Aloud... The tribute to Sarah Harding was incredibly touching," another person added.
Two decades after Girls Aloud originally debuted "I'll Stand By You" for BBC Children In Need, the legendary group is excited to reveal a fresh rendition of the song, showcasing their late member Sarah as the sole vocalist.
The group shown playing on Strictly Come Dancing back in 2012.
Her never-before-heard vocals were found in the Girls Aloud archives while the band was gathering content for their highly successful arena tour, The Girls Aloud Show, earlier this year.
Revamped with new production, the unique charity track called "I’ll Stand By You – Sarah’s Version" was launched on November 15 to raise funds for BBC Children In Need.
The touching song first premiered on Zoe Ball's morning show on Radio 2.
Zoe shared, “The Children in Need official single for 2024 has arrived. Looking back at past years, we've had some huge successes. Fingers crossed that this track brings in a lot of funds. We’ve been patient, so now I’ll hand it over to Nadine Coyle.”
Nadine kicked off the song by saying, "Good morning, Zoe! It’s Nadine from Girls Aloud. We have an exciting announcement for you today. This is the official single for Children in Need 2024."
"We've created a fresh version of I'll Stand By You, featuring our amazing Sarah as the lead vocalist for the entire song. This rendition is a heartfelt tribute to Sarah and reflects Girls Aloud's ongoing support for Children in Need throughout the years."
"Introducing for the very first time on Radio 2, here's the Children in Need single for 2024, titled 'I'll Stand By You.'"
Once the song finished, Zoe expressed, “We're all a bit teary-eyed; that was really meaningful. I'm so happy it's Girls Aloud.”
"You can hear Sarah speaking and are reminded of the kids who require assistance."
