Since announcing her pregnancy, Kimberley Walsh hasn’t been able to see her former Girls Aloud bandmates to toast the news. The star has always been incredibly close to Cheryl Cole and Nicola Roberts, and more recently all five of the girls – including Sarah Harding and Nadine Coyle – have been in more regular contact following Sarah’s devastating cancer diagnosis.
But Kimberley, 39, says the girls are all thrilled for her, though upset to be missing out on seeing her in person, thanks to the pandemic. “I’ve spoken to them all separately and they’re all very excited,” says the star, who spoke at the launch of Beleaf plant-based yoghurt.
“I think they’re all a bit gutted they can’t see me or see the bump growing, but I’m sending them regular updates. It is quite sweet to see how excited they are – they’re always like, ‘How are you? How’s the bump?’ They’re amazing. I know they’re there for me, even though they can’t physically be there.”
Being pregnant in the middle of a lockdown with two young children at home isn’t easy, but Kimberley – who’s mum to boys Bobby, six, and Cole, four, with husband Justin Scott – is taking the chaos in her stride.
“In lockdown, it’s hard to get time to yourself. I’ve got two boys at home. Bobby is homeschooling, which takes up most of the day, and any gaps I have in the middle I feel so guilty for Cole that I’m playing with him.
“But I have been making sure that I do give myself half an hour every couple of days to go away and do a little Pilates session – it’s more for my mental health at the moment, I just feel like I need that time. We also go for lots of walks. The boys have so much energy to burn off and there is a wood behind our house so we spend a lot of time there.”
Check out: Girls Aloud - what are they all doing now?
Girls Aloud - where are they now? - slider
1 of 10Cheryl
During her time in Girls Aloud Cheryl married and divorced footballer ex-husband Ashley Cole after he cheated. Cheryl was also found guilty of assault occasioning actual bodily harm following an altercation with a nightclub toilet attended in 2003. On a slightly lighter note (well, kind of) she threw a lot of shade when she said she "didn't think" Nicole Scherzinger would make it as a solo artist…
2 of 10Cheryl - 2020
Since her time in Girls Aloud, Chez has gone on to launch her solo career, she was a judge on The X Factor, moved onto The X Factor US but was sacked three weeks later and had a falling out with Simon Cowell. Despite texting him "f—k you. F—k the UK X Factor. F—k you all. I hate you," she returned to the show four years later. Cheryl has since become a judge on BBC's The Greatest Dancer. Chez was also an ambassador for L'Oreal and in 2020 she starred in the movie Four Kids and It.And after her divorce from Ashley, Cheryl got married to Jean-Bernard Fernandez but they split in 2016. She then dated Liam Payne and despite splitting in 2018 they're now co-parenting their son Bear Grey Payne.
3 of 10Kimberley Walsh
Kimberley was pretty unproblematic in Girls Aloud, although we can't forget when she completely backed Cheryl throwing shade at Nicole Scherzinger. Kimberley also didn't seem keen on the idea of the Pussycat Dolls star launching a solo career.
4 of 10Kimberley Walsh - 2020
Post-Girls Aloud, Kimberley climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in 2009 to raise money for Comic Relief, she has presented on TV and in 2012 she starred on Strictly Come Dancing and came runner up alongside her professional partner Pasha Kovalev. She's also married her long-term partner Justin Scott and they're parents to Bobby and Cole.
5 of 10Nadine Coyle
After Girls Aloud split in 2013, Nadine made it clear that it was not her idea. "You should know by now I had no part in any of this split business. I couldn't stop them. I had the best time & want to keep going," she tweeted at the time.
6 of 10Nadine Coyle - 2020
Nadine has pretty much become a meme after the nation discovered how she says "flour" on Sunday Brunch. She launched her own solo career, took part in I'm A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! 2019 and following a brief split from her fiancé Jason Bell they went on to have a child and tie the knot. Unfortunately they split months before she flew out to the jungle.
7 of 10Sarah Harding
Sarah was definitely the funniest of the group. Remember at the Brit Awards in 2009 when Girls Aloud won Best Single for The Promise and Sarah shouted down the microphone, "Can I just say, it's about timmmeee… I think I just wet myself." Obsessed.
8 of 10Sarah Harding - 2018
Sarah has starred on Coronation Street as Joni Preston, she won Celebrity Big Brother 2017 and in 2017 it came to light that she allegedly had an affair with Danny Dyer back in the day. She also got engaged to DJ Tom Crane but they called off their wedding and in 2011 she entered rehab for alcohol dependence and depression.
9 of 10Nicole Roberts
Remember when Matt Willis called Nicola a "rude ginger b-tch" and she hit back but writing 'I'm a rude ginger b-tch… bothered!' on her shorts? Now that's iconic.
10 of 10Nicola Roberts - 2020
Nicola has also launched her solo career and she won the first series of The Masked Singer UK.
And Kimberley, who is due to give birth in early summer, has also been eating better this lockdown after “falling into the same trap as everyone” during the first one.
“Pre-COVID, I’d be so busy, rushing around and grabbing a coffee and not really looking after myself. But when I know I’ve got a little human [in my tummy] I’m instantly so much more aware of what I eat.
“I’m not saying I eat well all the time, because the baby might need a treat now and again! But I’m so hungry all the time now so I’m just trying to find lots of healthy snacks that keep me away from refined sugar because I know that’s not really giving me much goodness.”
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And while Kimberley says she’s mindful of eating good, nutritious food, she admits it hasn’t always been this way. “When you’re a teenager and in your early twenties, you very much focus on what you look like rather than what you’re feeding yourself.
“Whereas now I want to feel good, not tired and fatigued, so I’m mindful of what I eat, but I wouldn’t do any crazy diets. I didn’t really embrace my body as it was when I was younger and I do more so now. Which is crazy really, because I’m sure I looked way better then, but I was much, much harder on myself!”
Kimberley is an ambassador for the new Beleaf plant-based yoghurt, available now.
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