Girls Aloud - the possible reunion of a troubled pop group

Over the course of 11 years, this Anglo-Irish pop group reigned supreme. The group was made up of Nadine Coyle, Sarah Harding, Cheryl, Kimberley Walsh, and Nicola Roberts - they were turned into a band after winning the reality show 'Popstars: The Rivals'.

'Popstars: The Rivals' was devised after the original 'Popstars' produced Hear'Say, one of the first manufactured pop groups to have some success. The concept of the new show was to have a boyband and girlband compete for the coveted Christmas number 1. Host Davina McCall watched as thousands of applicants were whittled down into two groups - One True Voice and Girls Aloud. Girls Aloud took the Christmas number 1 spot with their song 'The Sound of the Underground'.

Music journalist Alexis Petridis wrote that this song ''proved a first: it was a reality pop record that didn't make you want to do physical harm to everyone involved in its manufacture''.

In March 2003, the song was certified platinum, and in total, it spent 4 consecutive weeks at number 1.

Their debut album took its name from the group's debut single, and it went platinum shortly after its release. Their second album - 'What Will The Neighbours Say?' - followed the same trajectory.  By 2005, they had their first BRIT Award nomination and their first tour.

For their aforementioned second album, Girls Aloud released a cover of The Pretender's 'I'll Stand By You', and the song was widely panned by critics. Their third album did go on to achieve platinum status, but the first single from it only charted at number 7, breaking Girls Aloud's run of top 5 singles.

In this phase of their career, Girls Aloud were experiencing highs and lows. On one hand, their foray into documentaries - ITV's 'Girls Aloud: Home Truths' - was successful, leading to more TV work. Their single 'Biology' was also hailed as one of the best pop songs in history. Yet, not everything worked out in their favour, and their attempts to break Australia ended in failure.

Despite these setbacks, there were some more highlights. In 2007, they worked on the soundtrack for 'St. Trinian's', and two years later, they were busy supporting Coldplay and Jay-Z at the iconic Wembley Stadium. These endeavours complemented their various endorsement and calendar deals, all of which boosted their profile and their income.

In 2009, the girlband announced that they were going to take a hiatus for one year. Their intention was to pursue solo projects, and the band only briefly reformed in 2012 for their ten-year anniversary. After some mediocre singles and poor chart rankings, they announced their split in 2013 via Twitter. Their fans were devastated.

In 2019, Cheryl confirmed what fans had long suspected: there had always been underlying tension in the group.

The Geordie singer revealed that Sarah Harding was designated as the 'wild child' in the group, but this was initially only a marketing tactic. Soon, she started embracing her character, and she was frequently snapped by the paparazzi in various states of inebriation. She was also prone to saying things in public that embarrassed her bandmates.

On stage, everything was rosy. Offstage, Sarah and Cheryl clashed repeatedly, due in no small part to their different personalities. Out of the public eye, Cheryl rarely drank and preferred the quiet life. This caused a rift in the group, with Nadine siding with Sarah, and the others with Cheryl.

They started off as friends, but by their final tour in 2013, the tension was unbearable. In later years, the different members of Girls Aloud have all said that the tour was not as fun as it should have been because of unresolved issues, and it convinced them that breaking up was the right thing to do.

According to Nadine, the Irish member of Girls Aloud, she was told just minutes before the tweet confirming the band's split was sent. Cheryl clapped back and insinuated that this was a lie. However, it does seem that Nadine was not consulted about the decision, and Sarah subsequently apologized to her.

These squabbles were put aside after Sarah's death. She died on 5 September 2021 from breast cancer that had spread to other parts of her body. The former bandmates were united in grief and they all paid tribute to the late singer.

Nadine admitted that she was never best friends with the other singers and that she gravitated more towards the people around the band, such as wardrobe assistants and hairdressers. Nevertheless, she has recently crossed paths with some of her ex-bandmates, and seemingly there is a desire on all sides to patch things up.

Older and wiser, Girls Aloud could be set for a spectacular reunion. Nicola's triumph in 'The Masked Singer' only added to the rumours, and she gushed that she would love to get back with the band. These rumours were quietened by Sarah's untimely passing, but have resurfaced as the now quartet have suggested that reforming would help honour Sarah's memory and celebrate their upcoming 20th anniversary.