Kimberley Wash pays tribute to Girls Aloud on group’s 20th anniversary

Kimberley Walsh has paid a touching tribute to Girls Aloud to mark the group’s twentieth anniversary since they first formed.

The singer, 41, took to Instagram on Wednesday and shared a series of throwback snaps of the group taken during their years together.

Girls Aloud was made up of Kimberley, Cheryl, Nadine Coyle, Nicola Roberts and Sarah Harding, with Sarah passing away in September 2021 from breast cancer.

In her tribute, Kimberley wrote: ‘Happy 20 years girls! Wow I am proud of what we achieved and love you all much.

‘There is a huge hole in my heart that Sarah isn’t here to celebrate this with us but I am looking through pictures, sobbing and remembering all the amazing times we shared. 

‘A girl band is a bond that no one can ever break. The memories will always stay with us forever.’ 

Girls Aloud formed on the reality show Popstars: The Rivals in 2002 and released their debut single Sound Of The Underground later that year.

Looking back: The singer, 41, took to Instagram on Wednesday and shared a series of throwback snaps of the group taken during their years together

Kimberley wrote: ‘Happy 20 years girls! Wow I am proud of what we achieved and love you all much’ 

They achieved twenty consecutive top ten singles in the UK during their tenure, including four number ones.

They released five albums, with two topping the charts, and wona  BRIT Award for Best Single for their song The Promise.

Girls Aloud parted ways for good in 2013 following the conclusion of their Ten: The Hits Tour which marked a decade together.

The tribute comes after Kimberley that a Girls Aloud reunion is off the cards for the band, admitting it would be ‘too painful’ without late bandmate Sarah.

Early days: Girls Aloud formed on the reality show Popstars: The Rivals in 2002 and released their debut single Sound Of The Underground later that year (pictured in 2002)

Speaking on This Morning in October, Kimberley said she, Cheryl, Nicola and Nadine are ‘grateful for the time that we had’ but won’t be going on without their fifth member. 

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Speaking to Dermot O’Leary and Alison Hammond, Kimberley detailed the money that she and her bandmates have raised for The Sarah Harding Breast Cancer Appeal.

She said: ‘We’re not really doing anything to celebrate that for obvious reasons, but what’s been really nice is we’ve been able to still come together and do some really positive fundraising for Sarah’s charity.

It’s been incredible. We’ve funded a whole research project that she wanted us to raise money for. We are really proud of the fact we’ve managed to do that for her.

Success: They achieved twenty consecutive top ten singles in the UK during their tenure, including four number ones (pictured in 2012)

‘We’ve got our Sound of The Underground re-release and all the money’s going to go to breast cancer research and the hospital that looked after Sarah, so that’s been a really good way I think of us finding something positive and a way to channel that.’

Noting that while right now isn’t the time, Dermot asked: ‘Do you think sometime in the future you might do something to celebrate… you’ve got this incredible fan base who’d love to see you live?’

But shutting down the idea, Kimberley said: ‘We were all together, we did a gala for Sarah last weekend and we were all together, and lots of our GA [Girls Aloud] family were there and it just felt really special to have that night, but I just feel for all of us, it would just be too painful.

‘We’re so grateful that we had the time that we did and that we can find a way of doing something positive. But I don’t think it’s going to be something that we’ll do.’

End of an era: They parted ways for good in 2013 following the conclusion of their Ten: The Hits Tour which marked a decade together

Sarah’s mother Marie announced the sad news on social media last year, she wrote: ‘It’s with deep heartbreak that today I’m sharing the news that my beautiful daughter Sarah has sadly passed away.

‘Many of you will know of Sarah’s battle with cancer and that she fought so strongly from her diagnosis until her last day.

‘She slipped away peacefully this morning. I’d like to thank everyone for their kind support over the past year. It meant the world to Sarah and it gave her great strength and comfort to know she was loved.

‘I know she won’t want to be remembered for her fight against this terrible disease – she was a bright shining star and I hope that’s how she can be remembered instead.’

The members of Girls Aloud reunited in Hyde Park in July for the first time in nine years as they paid tribute to the life of their late bandmate Sarah.

Kimberley, Cheryl, Nicole and Nadine and 5k event in order to raise money for breast cancer, marking their first public appearance together since 2013.

Together again: The members of Girls Aloud reunited in Hyde Park in July for the first time in nine years as they paid tribute to the life of their late bandmate Sarah (Nicola, Cheryl and Nadine pictured)