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

She’s been battling advanced breast cancer since last summer, which has sadly since spread through her body including her spine – and Sarah Harding has now revealed the devastating news that doctors have told her Christmas 2020 was “probably her last”.

The former Girls Aloud star – who has undergone a mastectomy and chemotherapy and is living with her mother, Marie, who is caring for her – made the shocking revelation in her new memoir, Hear Me Out. As well as recalling her life in the hit band, it details her diagnosis and treatment in full for the first time, and how she was placed in an induced coma after also battling sepsis.

In her book, Sarah, 39, writes, “I’m just grateful to wake up every day and live my best life, because now I know just how precious it is.”

Celebrity friends expressed their heartache over the unimaginable news that the singer could have just months left. Peter Andre wrote on Instagram, “Thinking of you Sarah. Please stay strong and keep fighting. Love from all of us” and I’m A Celeb! star Victoria Derbyshire commented, “This is devastating & important from @SarahNHarding… she was told that Xmas ’20 would be her last; she urges people to get checked out if they have concerns.”

However, at the end of the book, Sarah reveals some positive news that the treatment is having an impact. She revealed, “MRI scans at the end of December revealed that the tumours in my brain and in my lung have shrunk a bit with the treatment.”

She added she didn’t know “exactly what this means”, but was happy with the direction it was going.

Now the singer’s close friend and former Gogglebox star Sandi Bogle tells Closer that Sarah is a fighter and is holding out hope she can “get through this”.

Sandi, 56, says, “It is devastating to hear what is happening to such a young and talented girl – I broke down when I heard. She’s such a beautiful person.

“I had a couple of messages from her at the start [of her diagnosis] saying she was OK. She’s a fighter, she’s fighting for it and she’s not going to give up.”

Sandi and Sarah became friends while filming Celebrity Big Brother in 2017 – which Sarah won. She had charmed both viewers and her fellow housemates with her upbeat and fun-loving personality – something which Sandi says she saw more of after the show.

Sandi tells us, “She likes to be the last one on the dance floor and so do I. We’ve met up in clubs and we could party – everyone would leave and we’d still be there. She’s a firefly, like me – we live for the moment!”

Sarah first found fame in 2002 when she auditioned for Popstars: The Rivals and was chosen as a member of Girls Aloud. The hugely successful band went on to achieve 20 consecutive Top 10 UK singles before splitting in 2013.

Towards the end of the group’s career, there were reported rifts between members. As tensions grew between them, the band reportedly divided, with Sarah – who entered rehab in 2011 for alcohol addiction and later admitted she had an addiction to prescription painkillers – and Nadine Coyle staying close while Cheryl, Kimberley Walsh and Nicola Roberts forged a tight bond.

Nadine said in 2015, “There was [a divide]. We’re all very, very different characters.”

Sarah’s new book, however, details the support from all the girls since her diagnosis, with Cheryl and Nadine writing their own excerpts. Cheryl wrote, “The news of Sarah’s illness hit me so hard. Since that day, she’s been on my brain every waking hour – so much so that I feel like I want to be with her.”

And last week, Kimberley said in an interview that all the girls had reconnected recently. She said, “As much as this is a tough time, it’s nice that it’s given us the drive to spend time together,” adding that the group was “always a sisterhood”. She said, “People think some of us are closer than others and that’s absolutely normal, but in terms of friendship it’s so much deeper than that when you’ve gone through those experiences. Sarah knows that. She always did.”

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Sandi says, “Cheryl, Kimberley and Nicola have lost time with Sarah. It’s a situation where lessons can be learned and everyone is reminded that life

is so short, and not to be hung up on little things and to look at the bigger picture. It’s so important to cherish those people in our lives and bring positivity to everyone in any way we can.”

And Sandi adds that once lockdown restrictions lift, she’s going to visit Sarah, saying, “I’ll definitely be over there to see her when I can for a chit chat and some cuddles. I’ve been there with Sarah when she has had tough times before and I’ve listened, we’ve cried together and we’ve laughed together. She’s a strong woman and I hope she can get through this.”

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In Sarah's own words: ‘I’ve talked to Cheryl about a charity gala’

Since her time in the spotlight, Sarah has thrown herself into charity work as part of Girls Aloud – with the band releasing hit charity singles for Comic Relief and Children In Need, as well as each getting involved in their own individual campaigns for different causes.

And in her book, Sarah revealed that she wants to give back to some of the cancer organisations that have helped her through her diagnosis and treatment – notably Macmillan Cancer Support, who provide emotional, financial and physical help to cancer patients and their families, and The Christie Charitable Fund, which provides enhanced services for The Christie Hospital, one of the largest cancer treatment facilities in the UK.

Sarah said, “What I’d really love is to put on some sort of charity gala or big fundraising event by way of a massive thank you. It’s something I’ve talked to Cheryl about, and having done so much for The Prince’s Trust, it’s something she feels she might be able to help me with.

“It would undoubtedly be something positive to look forward to and get dressed up for. Just find me a good stylist and a make-up artist, and I’ll be there. Let’s face it – I still have to look good standing next to those other four girls, if they come and join me. Even if I’m not around to see an event through, I need to let people there know how grateful I am to them for all they’ve done for me.”

For more information and to donate, visit Macmillan, and Christie.nhs.uk