Girls Aloud star Sarah Harding dies aged 39

The singer said last August that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer and it had spread to other parts of her body.

Harding said that she was told by a doctor that she will likely not be alive next Christmas.

In her autobiography, released in March, she said she decided to announce her illness in the hope that others who have concerns would seek medical help and not leave a cancer diagnosis until its too late.

On Sunday, her mother Marie said on Instagram: “It’s with deep heartbreak that today I’m sharing the news that my beautiful daughter Sarah has sadly passed away”.

Harding found fame in 2002 as a contestant on the ITV talent show Popstars: The Rivals, which paved the way for her joining Girls Aloud alongside Nicola Roberts, Kimberley Walsh, Cheryl Tweedy and Nadine Coyle.

The group had several hits including “Sound of the Underground,” “Love Machine” and “The Promise” before it split up in 2013.

After Girls Aloud, Harding appeared in several movies and television shows as well as a stage adaptation of Ghost the movie. She won the reality show Celebrity Big Brother in 2017.