Geordie Shore’s Amelia Lily: ‘The death of my friend Sarah Harding hit me hard’

They were on tour together in 2013

Amelia Lily Sarah Harding

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The tragic and untimely death of Sarah Harding from breast cancer, aged just 39, last month shocked and saddened fans around the world.

And it was a devastating loss for pop star Amelia Lily as the pair had formed a friendship over the past decade.

Amelia, who turns 27 next week, and appears in the new series of Geordie Shore, tells Closer, “It hit me really hard when

I found out about Sarah. I knew her on a personal level. I supported Girls Aloud on their Ten reunion tour [in 2013], and it’s hard to get my head around the fact that she’s not here any more.”

Amelia shot to fame almost 10 years ago when, at the age of just 17, she finished third on The X Factor, in the same year that Little Mix won the show.

Less than a year later, she released hit debut single You Bring Me Joy and went on to support Girls Aloud on their tour.

Amelia was reunited with Sarah when they both starred in Celebrity Big Brother in 2017, and the pair developed a close friendship, wowing fans as they dueted to Girls Aloud’s hit single, The Promise.

CHECK OUT Geordie Shore's most iconic moments

Gallery

Geordie Shore's most iconic moments - SLIDER

Holly gives Gaz a kiss on the penis1 of 16
CREDIT: MTV

Holly gives Gaz a kiss on the penis

18-year-old Holly Hagan literally ran into the Geordie Shore house, excited to spend her teenage years exploring what the 'adult world' was really like and she really did get stuck in. It wasn't long into the first series before Gary Beadle had got out his penis, which Holly decided she wanted to kiss. Random, we know. Since then, Holly has dished the dirt on that encounter, after Gary said his penis resembled a "Sky remote control." Speaking to heat, she revealed, "It's not that big really."

Sophie's 'chlamydia' moment2 of 16
CREDIT: MTV

Sophie's 'chlamydia' moment

How could we have forgotten this? After Sophie Kasaei got into a relationship with DJ Joel Corry, it wasn't long before she started to miss her beau. But when he surprised her by visiting the house, Sophie whisked Joel to the bedroom after a night out for some alone time and it seemed like Sophie was really enjoying herself. Cue one of the most iconic moments in Geordie Shore history. Sophie decided to show how much she was enjoying herself by seductively saying, "Chlamydia", in Joel's ear.

Vicky spits in Jay's face3 of 16
CREDIT: MTV

Vicky spits in Jay's face

As series one progressed, the first house romance had been ignited between Vicky Pattison and Jay Gardner, with the pair deciding to share a room from day one. It looked like things were going swimmingly, until the pair got into a huge fight and ended up calling off their short-lived romance. In the midst of the fighting, Vicky then spat her drink in Jay's face, leaving him fuming. Vicky has since called her behaviour "disgusting and unnecessary."

Holly dumps Dan outside a sofa shop in a retail park4 of 16
CREDIT: MTV

Holly dumps Dan outside a sofa shop in a retail park

It seems like a long time ago but Holly actually entered the Geordie Shore house with a boyfriend called Dan. However, their relationship soon broke down and Holly wanted to dump her lover. Obviously, in true reality TV style, the cameras followed Holly as she headed to end the relationship, filming her arguing with Dan then dumping him outside a sofa shop in a retail park. Ouch.

Charlotte weeing on Gaz5 of 16
CREDIT: MTV

Charlotte weeing on Gaz

Ever since Charlotte Crosby and Gary got together, they were the ultimate Geordie Shore couple. Whilst they broke up more times than we've had hot dinners, they were firm fan favourites from the beginning. So after Charlotte and Gary had done the deed in Ricci Guarnaccio's nana's bed (so many questions), Charlotte farted to stop the awkwardness between the pair. Noting Gary's utter disgust, Charlotte found it all so funny that she just starting weeing…all over him, the bed and herself.

Vicky and Ricci get engaged6 of 16
CREDIT: MTV

Vicky and Ricci get engaged

After Ricci entered the house in series 2, he swept Vicky off her feet, despite her having a boyfriend at the time. However, she eventually finished with him to be with Ricci, who eventually popped the question during the show's Chaos in Cancun series. This was much to the surprise of everyone, as their relationship was extremely fiery. The engagement was short-lived, with the pair calling it off months after and Ricci then left the show to go on Celebrity Big Brother.

Ricky proposes to Marnie7 of 16
CREDIT: MTV

Ricky proposes to Marnie

And from one Ricky to the next, can you remember when ex-TOWIE star Ricky Rayment proposed to Marnie Simpson on the show? Again, this was a huge surprise to viewers, as the pair had only been officially dating for six months. Their engagement also didn't last long, with the pair splitting three months later.

Charlotte and Marnie's fight8 of 16
CREDIT: MTV

Charlotte and Marnie's fight

There's been plenty of fights over the years in the Geordie Shore house but this one takes top place. The fight between the two firecrackers broke out after Marnie stirred the pot after kissing Chloe Ferry's beau Marty McKenna. Obviously, Chloe went pure radge because she'd already 'bucked' him and then Charlotte got involved, leading to security having to pull them all apart. Charlotte then called Marnie "a big flirty slag with really long confusing hair." Savage.

Aaron tells Marnie he loves her9 of 16
CREDIT: MTV

Aaron tells Marnie he loves her

Marnie and Aaron Chalmers' relationship was very on and off, with the pair loving each other one minute then ripping each others heads off the next. Can you remember when they got caught having sex in a factory's kitchen? But it seemed like it was true love for the pair, as after going back and forth, Aaron finally admitted he loved Marnie. Yet, it took him a while to get there as before he said those precious three words, he responded to Marnie admitting her love for him by responding, "I like your hair." Awkward.

When Nathan wee'd on the stairs10 of 16
CREDIT: MTV

When Nathan wee'd on the stairs

It shouldn't have been hilarious but it was. One of our iconic moments was when Nathan Henry decided he needed to have a wee and couldn't hold it in so wee'd on the stairs. And if this wasn't funny enough, Chloe and Sam Gowland then ran up the stairs not knowing what he had done and fell into his luke warm piss. Lovely.

Chloe fighting a tree11 of 16
CREDIT: MTV

Chloe fighting a tree

Ever since Chloe burst onto our screens, her wild personality has made her a firm fan favourite, as well as all the questionable things she does whilst filming. However, this has to be one of her funniest moments when she started a fight with a tree because she believed the tree 'wanted to fight'. You simply cannot write these things.

Chloe sent home after starting on Zahida12 of 16
CREDIT: MTV

Chloe sent home after starting on Zahida

In one of the show's most recent series, the OG castmates saw around 10 new faces turn up at the house, after their boss Anna wanted to employ some new workers. However, with new faces comes new drama and new girl Zahida Allen got frisky with Marty in the back of a taxi. What Zahida didn't realise was how volatile Chloe and Marty's on-off relationship was and their late night antics sent Chloe wild, and she attacked Zahida, having to be pulled apart by security. Chloe was booted from the show but returned later on in the series.

Scotty Tu2019s threesome gets interrupted13 of 16
CREDIT: MTV

Scotty T’s threesome gets interrupted

Scotty T thought he was going to have the night of his life when he brought home two women for a threesome... on a waterbed. However, he instead got summoned out of his bed to speak with Gaz for a deep convo. Better luck next time Scott.

Back of the taxi orgy14 of 16
CREDIT: MTV

Back of the taxi orgy

When you thought you'd seen it all, you really hadn't until this moment. An orgy in the back of a taxi. TV gold. After the crew had been partying wild in the town centre, they were all heading back home to the Geordie Shore house. Bored, and very drunk, one of the cast members suggesting having an orgy, which they all were keen on (except Chloe who's alseep at the back). Marnie and Scotty T get carried away and passionately kiss, leaving Aaron fuming and he leaves the house.

Chloe goes plant pot crazy15 of 16
CREDIT: MTV

Chloe goes plant pot crazy

How can we forget Nathan deciding he wants a calm and peaceful bath to then be rudely awakened by a drunk Chloe raiding the bathroom with only one thing in sight - the plants. As she goes plant pot crazy, she swings the pot around with dirt going aboloutely everywhere, turning the clean bathroom into a soiled mess.

The Abbie, Chloe and Sam love triange16 of 16
CREDIT: MTV

The Abbie, Chloe and Sam love triangle

Abbie Holburn kept it no secret that she fancied Sam when former Love Islander turned up as one of the new cast members. However, Chloe also had her eyes set on the hunky lad, meaning they found themselves at logger heads. After the pair fought it out over several episodes, Sam decided to pick Chloe as they were more similar, leaving Abbie upset.

WATCH Ferne McCann on breaking up with her ex-boyfriend and her heartbreak plan | First Time Mum Secrets

Heartbreakingly, Sarah revealed in August 2020 that she had been diagnosed with cancer, which had spread to other parts of her body. Then, on 5 September this year, her mother Marie announced her death on Instagram, describing her “beautiful” daughter as “a bright, shining star.”

Now Amelia says she wants to honour her friend. She says, “I’m working with the Breast Cancer Research charity – I’m doing it for Sarah. You’ve got to check yourself out and hopefully people will after her story.”

The singer – whose acting career saw her play Princess Fiona in Shrek The Musical – shocked fans by joining Geordie Shore last year, and says she did so to “relive [the] youth [she] never had”.

Closer mag
Read more in this week's Closer mag, out now ©Closer mag

READ MORE

Sarah Harding ‘finds comfort’ in renewed bond with Girls Aloud

Pal Sandi Bogle: ‘Sarah Harding’s a fighter – she’s not going to give up’

HUGE X Factor star 'joining Geordie Shore'

She said, “I’d always been in relationships from the age of 16, but I’ve been single for a while now. With being on X Factor and then everything that happened, I’ve missed out on a lot of things my friends took for granted. I never went to uni or anything like that.”

However, the Middlesbrough-born star admits she doesn’t fit in as the stereotypical Geordie lass. She says, “I’ve never felt pressure to have the ‘Geordie look’ – I think that’s why I was asked to go on the show in the first place.

“I’m quite different, I’m a bit of a rock and roll girl. I’ve always been different but that’s who I am. I think it’s important to know who you are and what your identity is and to embrace individuality.”

Read more in this week's Closer mag, out now

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