Sarah Harding

Sarah Nicole Harding (née Hardman; born 17 November 1981) is an English singer, model, and actress. She rose to fame in late 2002 when she auditioned for the ITV reality series Popstars: The Rivals. The programme announced that Harding had won a place as a member of the girl group, Girls Aloud.[2] The group achieved twenty consecutive top ten singles (including four number ones) in the UK, six studio albums that were certified platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), two of which went to number one in the UK, and accumulated a total of five BRIT Award nominations. In 2009, Girls Aloud won "Best Single" with their song "The Promise".

Sarah Harding
Harding in October 2012
Born
Sarah Nicole Hardman[1]

(1981-11-17) 17 November 1981
Occupation
  • Singer
  • model
  • actress
Years active2002–present
Label(s)

During the group's break, Harding began acting, appearing in Bad Day, the BBC television film Freefall, Run for Your Wife, and St. Trinian's 2: The Legend of Fritton's Gold. Harding contributed three solo songs to the soundtrack of St. Trinian's 2. She has also modelled for Ultimo lingerie. In late 2012, she reunited with Girls Aloud to celebrate their tenth anniversary. In early 2013, they announced that they had split up. In 2015, the singer briefly appeared in Coronation Street, and released her first extended play, Threads. She won Celebrity Big Brother 20 in 2017.

Early life

She was raised with two half brothers and attended Hazel Grove High School from 1993 to 1998, and later attended Stockport College where she studied hair and beauty.[3] She then worked as part of the promotions team for two nightclubs in The Grand Central Leisure Park in Stockport, as a waitress at Pizza Hut, a van driver, debt collector and as a BT telephone operator. She also toured North West England performing at pubs, social clubs, and caravan parks to support herself. In 2002, she was recording dance tracks when she decided to audition for Popstars: The Rivals.[4] She auditioned for UK talent-search shows Fame Academy and Popstars: The Rivals and it was in the latter on which she found fame, pulling out of Fame Academy after being accepted into the first round of Popstars. Harding also entered FHM's High Street Honeys 2002, the magazine's national beauty contest. Her pictures appeared in the top 100, but Harding withdrew upon achieving success on Popstars.[5]

Career

2002–2009: Girls Aloud and foray into acting

Harding performing with Girls Aloud at the O2 in London (2008)

In 2002, Harding auditioned for the reality television show Popstars: The Rivals.[6] The programme, the second British series of the international Popstars franchise, would see the creation of two rival groups – a boy band and a girl group each consisting of five members, which would then compete against each other for the 2002 Christmas Number One spot on the UK Singles Chart. Several thousand applicants attended auditions across the UK in hope of being selected. Ten girls and ten boys were chosen as finalists by judges Pete Waterman, Louis Walsh and Geri Halliwell. These finalists then took to the stage participating in weekly Saturday night live performances (alternating weekly between the girls and boys). Each week the contestant polling the fewest phone votes was eliminated, until the final line-ups of the groups emerged. Harding joined Nadine Coyle, Cheryl Tweedy, Nicola Roberts, and Kimberley Walsh to comprise the new girl group Girls Aloud, formed through the show by a public vote on 30 November 2002.[2]

The group's debut single "Sound of the Underground" peaked at number one on the UK Singles Chart, becoming the 2002 Christmas number one.[7] Girls Aloud hold the record for the shortest time between formation and reaching number one.[8] The group released their debut album Sound of the Underground in May 2003,[9] which entered the charts at number two and was certified platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) later the same year. Their singles "I'll Stand by You", "Walk This Way", and "The Promise" have charted at number one. Two of their albums have reached the top of the UK Albums Chart: their greatest hits album The Sound of Girls Aloud and 2008's Out of Control, both of which entered the chart at number one, with over one million copies of the former being sold.[10] They also achieved seven certified albums and have been nominated for five Brit Awards, winning the 2009 Best Single for "The Promise".

The group's musical style is pop, but throughout their career they had experimented with electropop and dance-pop. Girls Aloud's collaborations with Brian Higgins and his songwriting and production team Xenomania earned the group critical acclaim,[11] due to an innovative approach to mainstream pop music. The group became one of the few UK reality television acts to achieve continued success, amassing a fortune of £30 million by May 2010. Guinness World Records lists them as "Most Successful Reality TV Group" in the 2007 edition. They also hold the record for "Most Consecutive Top Ten Entries in the UK by a Female Group" in the 2008 edition, and are credited again for "Most Successful Reality TV Group" in the 2011 edition. The group was also named the United Kingdom's biggest selling girl group of the 21st century, with over 4.3 million singles sales and 4 million albums sold in the UK alone.[12][13]

In 2006, Harding signed a £100,000 deal to model Ultimo lingerie, following the likes of Penny Lancaster, Rachel Hunter and Helena Christensen. Alongside her Girls Aloud bandmates, Harding made a cameo appearance in St. Trinian's in 2007. She took on her first major acting role in 2008, appearing in the low-budget thriller Bad Day. Harding wore a brunette wig for the role of Jade Jennings. The film also stars Donna Air and Claire Goose. She also collaborated with London synthpop band Filthy Dukes on a cover of "Real Wild Child," recorded for the film Wild Child.[14] In July 2009, Girls Aloud announced they would take a year-long hiatus to pursue solo projects, but would reunite for a new studio album in 2010.[15]

2009–2012: Acting career

During Girls Aloud's hiatus, Harding decided to focus on her acting career. "Singing was always my main ambition, but acting was something else I wanted to achieve," Harding said.[16] Harding appeared in the BBC television film Freefall, written and directed by Dominic Savage. The film aired on BBC Two on 14 July 2009. Harding portrayed Sam, the beautician girlfriend of Dominic Cooper's character.[16][17] The drama is a satirical take on the financial crisis of 2007–2008.[18] Company magazine said that "Sarah Harding showed she's got real acting potential in her convincing, but fleeting performance."[19]

Later that year, Harding returned to the St. Trinian's franchise with a starring role in St. Trinian's 2: The Legend of Fritton's Gold. Despite her age, Harding portrayed teenage rebel Roxy, a new student at St. Trinian's School. The film received overwhelmingly negative reviews, holding a 10% 'rotten' rating on Rotten Tomatoes.[20] Harding worked with Girls Aloud producers Xenomania to record three solo tracks for the film's soundtrack – "Too Bad," "Make It Easy," and a cover of David Bowie's "Boys Keep Swinging".

In December 2009, Harding appeared on MTV's Sarah Harding in 24 Hours. To promote this, she also made a guest appearance on BBC Radio 1 with Chris Moyles. Harding and her then-boyfriend, DJ Tom Crayne, also launched a new nightclub named Kanaloa. Harding's guest vocals appear alongside Kanobby on the Roger Sanchez and Far East Movement track "2Gether"; she also appears in snippets of the music video. Harding has recently finished filming Run for Your Wife in which she plays one of the wives of the lead character, John Smith.[21] The film was released on 14 February 2013.

2012–2013: Girls Aloud reunion and split

After three years of hiatus, Girls Aloud reunited in 2012 to celebrate their tenth anniversary together. The group released the single "Something New" in November, with proceeds being donated to Children in Need.[22] Their second greatest hits anthology Ten was released on 26 November 2012, followed by the single "Beautiful Cause You Love Me".[22] In 2013, the group embarked on Ten - The Hits Tour 2013. Shortly after the tour, the group announced their split.[23]

2013–2015: Threads and further acting

In mid-2012, Harding announced the release of her debut solo album.[24] Harding first revealed that she was starting on a solo album in March 2010, naming Lady Gaga as her biggest influence.[25] Despite this, an album never materialised. In June 2012, Harding restated her plans to release a solo album in 2013.[26] In September 2012, she said that she had been "writing and experimenting with different sounds in the studio."[27] On 19 August, it was reported that Harding's debut album would be released in the fourth quarter of 2013.

In November 2013, Harding hinted at the possible release of her debut solo album sometime in 2014. She said, "I'm doing all sorts of stuff at the moment [...] A lot of it is music, music, music.".[28] In July 2015 her first solo release, "Threads", was announced; it was released on 7 August.

It was announced in May 2015 that Harding had agreed to make a guest appearance on the ITV soap opera Coronation Street as Joni Preston, the wife of Robert Preston (Tristan Gemmill). The character made a few appearances in July and August 2015 as her marriage to Robert disintegrated when he began an affair with ex-wife Tracy Barlow (Kate Ford).

Harding competed on BBC's Saturday night gymnastics show Tumble in 2014 where she came third. She also participated in season 10 of BBC's Celebrity MasterChef in 2015.

2016–2017: Reality TV appearances and Ghost: The Musical

On 16 January 2016, Harding was announced as a contestant on the third series of The Jump which began broadcasting on Channel 4 from 31 January 2016. However she withdrew from the series on 26 February 2016 (Week 5) after tearing a ligament in her knee during a training session. In Autumn 2016, Harding appeared alongside Andy Moss in a UK tour of Ghost: The Musical. However, she was replaced mid tour by Carolyn Maitland after pulling out due to the subsequent pain from her injury after The Jump.

On 1 August 2017, Harding began competing in the twentieth series of Celebrity Big Brother and was crowned the winner on 25 August 2017.[29]

Personal life

Harding was engaged to DJ Tom Crane during 2011.[30] She was also in a two-year relationship with DJ Mark Foster from late 2012 to late 2014.[31]

In October 2011, Harding entered a rehab centre in South Africa, citing alcohol dependence and depression.[32] Since then, she has not stopped drinking alcohol altogether, but simply "reined it in."[33] On 16 April 2013, Harding received a six-month driving ban and was fined £605 after law enforcement officials caught her talking on her mobile phone while she was driving through central London.[34] Harding had nine penalty points on her licence for speeding prior to the incident.[35]

On 26 August 2020, Harding stated that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer that had advanced to "other parts" of her body.[36]

Discography

Extended plays

Title EP details
Threads
  • Released: 7 August 2015
  • Label: Underdog Management Limited
  • Formats: digital download

Singles

Title Year Album
"Threads" 2015 Threads

Other appearances

List of non-single guest appearances
Title Year Album Notes
"Real Wild Child" 2008 Wild Child (soundtrack) A cover of Johnny O'Keefe's song.
"Too Bad" 2009 St Trinian's 2: The Legend of Fritton's Gold (soundtrack)
"Make It Easy"
"Boys Keep Swinging" A cover of David Bowie's song.
"2gether"
(Roger Sanchez and Far East Movement featuring Kanobby)
2011 Free Wired Harding provided guest vocals but she's not credited. She also appeared in the music video.

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes
2002 Popstars: The Rivals Herself Contestant
2005 Girls Aloud: Home Truths Herself Documentary
2006 Girls Aloud: Off the Record Herself Documentary
2007 St Trinian's School Band Member Cameo
2007 The Sunday Night Project Herself/Co-presenter Christmas special
2008 Bad Day Jade Jennings Supporting role
2008 The Passions of Girls Aloud Herself Documentary
2008 The Girls Aloud Party Herself/Co-presenter ITV Music Special
2009 Freefall Sam Television film; supporting role
2009 St Trinian's 2: The Legend of Fritton's Gold Roxy Main role
2009 Sarah Harding: In 24 Hours Herself Television film; documentary
2011 Dating in the Dark Presenter Game show
2012 Girls Aloud: Ten Years at the Top Herself Documentary
2012 Run for Your Wife Stephanie Smith Main role
2012 Don't Stop Me Now Guest judge Episode 7
2014 The Voice of Ireland Herself Bressie's adviser during "battles" round; series 3
2014 Tumble Herself Contestant; runner-up
2015 Celebrity MasterChef Herself Contestant; series 10
2015 Coronation Street Joni Preston 5 episodes
2016 The Jump Herself Contestant; withdrew
2017 Celebrity Big Brother 20 Herself Winner

References

  1. "Sarah Harding's profile". Archived from the original on 27 December 2007.
  2. "Popstars girl group picked". BBC News. 2 December 2002. Retrieved 28 February 2009.
  3. "Girls Aloud's Sarah Harding: She dreamed of making it as a singer and now she's making the most of life at the top". Daily Mirror. UK. Retrieved 5 August 2011.
  4. "Life And Soul of the Party". Daily Mirror. UK. 25 April 2009. Retrieved 5 August 2011.
  5. Day, Elizabeth (9 November 2008). "The nation's new sweetheart". The Guardian. UK: Guardian Media Group. Retrieved 12 November 2008.
  6. "Girls Aloud top festive chart". BBC News. BBC. 23 December 2002. Retrieved 24 February 2008.
  7. "Cheryl Cole Attending Kimberley Walsh 26th Birthday Party". The Insider. 26 November 2007. Archived from the original on 17 August 2009. Retrieved 11 June 2010.
  8. Wilkes, Neil (30 April 2003). "Girls Aloud prepare for album release". Digital Spy. Hachette Filipacchi Médias. Retrieved 9 May 2010.
  9. "Take That shine among IFPI Platinum elite". Music Week. United Business Media. 29 January 2009. Retrieved 30 January 2009.
  10. "Polydor Records". Polydor.co.uk. Archived from the original on 22 May 2020.
  11. "Girls Aloud crowned the biggest selling girl group of the 21st Century". Officialcharts.com. 18 October 2012. Retrieved 27 December 2012.
  12. Caulfield, Keith (21 March 2013). "Girls Aloud: A Whole Lotta Chart History". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 21 March 2013.
  13. "Sarah Harding to quit Girls Aloud?". NOW. IPC Media. 9 June 2008. Retrieved 14 November 2012.
  14. "Girls Aloud deny split rumours". NME. IPC Media. 16 July 2009. Retrieved 3 September 2009.
  15. "Freefall press pack: interview with Sarah Harding". BBC Press Office. BBC. 7 July 2009. Retrieved 14 November 2012.
  16. Keith Watson (15 July 2009). "Sarah Harding debut in Freefall was on the money". Metro. Associated Newspapers. Retrieved 14 November 2012.
  17. Dugald Baird (15 July 2009). "First night: Freefall". The Guardian. Guardian Media Group. Retrieved 14 November 2012.
  18. "What did you think of Sarah Harding's acting debut?". Company.co.uk. Nat Mags. 15 July 2009. Retrieved 14 November 2012.
  19. St Trinian's 2: The Legend of Fritton's Gold at Rotten Tomatoes
  20. "Run For Your Wife". Run For Your Wife. Retrieved 31 December 2011.
  21. Mark Savage (19 October 2012). "Girls Aloud reveal reunion plans". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 19 October 2012.
  22. Clemmie Moodie (27 October 2012). "We'll have a ball on tour: Girls Aloud tour will be their most spectacular and dance-heavy ever". Daily Mirror. Trinity Mirror. Retrieved 14 November 2012.
  23. "Girls Aloud's Sarah Harding to release solo album in 2013". Capital FM. Capital. 26 June 2012. Retrieved 14 November 2012.
  24. "Sarah Harding announces solo album". MTV UK. MTV. 9 March 2010. Retrieved 14 November 2012.
  25. "Sarah Harding plans solo album". MSN Music. MSN. 27 June 2012. Archived from the original on 30 June 2012. Retrieved 14 November 2012.
  26. "Sarah Harding". Ibiza Style. Pitiusa Media Group. 4 September 2012. Retrieved 14 November 2012.
  27. "SARAH HARDING HINTS AT NEW MUSIC". MTV UK. 29 November 2013. Retrieved 6 December 2013.
  28. "Sarah Harding crowned Celebrity Big Brother winner, amid controversy and boos". The Telegraph. 26 August 2017. Retrieved 19 September 2017.
  29. "Sarah Harding claims injury after fight with boyfriend". The Independent. 3 January 2012. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
  30. Dex, Robert (6 October 2014). "Sarah Harding: I'm getting a bit broody now Nadine and Kimberley have babies". Irish Independent. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
  31. Morgan, Clive (14 October 2016). "Sarah Harding splits from manager as mental and physical anguish take toll". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
  32. Stewart, Alice (31 August 2012). "Girls Aloud Sarah Harding after rehab: 'I never said I'd be teetotal'". Digital Spy. Hachette Filipacchi Médias. Retrieved 14 November 2012.
  33. Cheston, Paul (16 April 2013). "Driving ban for Girls Aloud star Sarah Harding after using mobile". Evening Standard. Retrieved 24 April 2013.
  34. Izundu, Chi Chi (16 April 2013). "Newsbeat – Girls Aloud singer Sarah Harding banned from driving". Newsbeat. BBC. Retrieved 24 April 2013.
  35. Beaumont-Thomas, Ben (26 August 2020). "Girls Aloud singer Sarah Harding receiving chemotherapy for cancer". The Guardian. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
Preceded by
Coleen Nolan
Celebrity Big Brother UK winner
Series 20 (2017)
Succeeded by
Shane Jenek / Courtney Act
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