Girls Aloud band member Kimberley Walsh has revealed how the group will mark the 20th anniversary of the band.

Walsh, 40, has said that the group will observe it privately following a “tough year” with the death of their bandmate Sarah Harding.

Harding passed away in September 2021 at just 39 years old.

She had previously revealed in August 2020 that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer and that it had spread to other parts of her body.

The Northern Echo: Sarah Harding. Credit: PA Sarah Harding. Credit: PA

Bradford singer Walsh said she was “proud” of what the pop group achieved during their time together and that she found it “hard to believe” it had been 20 years since the group was created.

She also noted that it would not “feel right” to celebrate the anniversary.

Walsh told the PA news agency: “I don’t think we’ve got any plans to mark it, obviously it’s been a tough year for us losing Sarah.

“The main thing is that we can just spend a bit of time together and reminisce on the good times, but it definitely doesn’t really feel right to celebrate it in any way, to be honest.”

Girls Aloud – consisting of Cheryl, Nicola Roberts, Nadine Coyle, Harding and Walsh – were formed on TV show Popstars: The Rivals in 2002.

Together, they produced five studio albums, including the hit tracks Sound Of The Underground and The Promise, before they disbanded in 2013.

Walsh added: “That just seems like an age, but then at the same time, it does feel a long time ago, it feels almost like a different world.

“I just feel proud of what we achieved and grateful to still be doing a job that I love and still be in the industry in different ways, because it’s all obviously thanks to Girls Aloud and the grounding and the opportunities that has given me.”

The Northern Echo: Kimberly Walsh. Credit: PAKimberly Walsh. Credit: PA

Kimberly has gone to have a successful career on the stage, starring in a West End production of Shrek as Princess Fiona, as well as featuring in musical adaptions of Elf, Big and Sleepless In Seattle.

The singer turned actress told PA her time in the girl band helped her with intense theatre schedules.

She said: “Going into the West End at the age of 30 and doing quite a gruelling schedule of eight shows a week, in a weird way, Girls Aloud prepared me quite well for that because you get used to just powering through, grafting, working all hours. They all cross over in their own ways.”