Girls Aloud star Kimberley Walsh has said that she and her bandmates are "as tight as we've ever been" following the tragic loss of Sarah Harding.
Sarah was just 39 when she died from breast cancer in September 2021. Kimberley, Cheryl, Nadine Coyle and Nicola Roberts were among those who paid tribute to the star, with Kimberley admitting her "heart was broken" by her friend's passing while Cheryl said that Sarah would be "forever in our hearts". Despite reports of fallouts over the years, the remaining members of Girls Aloud are now closer than ever, according to Kimberley.
The 41-year-old told The Sun: "I feel close to all the girls - it's genuinely a close friendship where we text daily. We are in each other's lives, we know what's going on."
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She added: "Obviously with everything that's happened, we're really as tight as we've ever been at the moment. You just have to lean on each other, don’t you?"
Kimberley also revealed that her three boys are firm friends with Cheryl's son Bear, six, saying: "Bear and the boys love seeing each other. They never want to leave each other's house."
The star joked: "The most regular place that Cheryl and I see each other now is kids' parties, which is definitely a sign of the times. She had an amazing Halloween party for them all."
Kimberley said that she was "so proud" of Cheryl after seeing her perform in her West End debut role, 2:22 A Ghost Story. Cheryl, 39, impressed critics after following in the footsteps of Lily Allen, Giovanna Fletcher and Laura Whitmore to play Jenny in the gripping thriller.
Earlier this year, Cheryl opened up about how losing Sarah had "changed her perspective" on life. Echoing Kimberley's sentiments, she said of her relationship with her bandmates: "We always have loved each other, obviously. But it's just a different, there's a different depth to it all now."
In October the four stars held a fundraising ball in their friend's honour, which Cheryl described as their "last promise to Sarah". The event was named Sarah's Primrose Ball, a touching nod to her famous 'here I am, walking primrose' line from number one Girls Aloud hit The Promise.
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