Sarah Harding might have swapped party days for a quieter life – but she’s still the Girls Aloud livewire
Thanks to some well-publicised partying, and a stint in rehab, she’s been christened Sarah Hardcore Harding – described, unflatteringly, as the ‘caner’ of the group
Former Girls Aloud starlet Sarah Harding is the first to admit she goes a little ‘Scary Spice’ on stage .
In fact, although the group were never officially awarded nicknames like their famous predecessors, Sarah’s well aware she’s earned herself a couple over the years for her colourful behaviour.
Thanks to some well-publicised partying, and a stint in rehab in 2011, she’s been christened Sarah ‘Hardcore’ Harding – and described, unflatteringly, as the ‘caner’ of the group.
And while insisting those days are long behind her, the singer, who perhaps more than any of her bandmates has publicly, and excruciatingly, lived out the lows of fame, now laughingly admits she might be poised to earn another moniker.
Chatting about the debut solo album she’s currently co-writing, helped by DJ boyfriend Mark Foster, and her recent solo performance at Kensington Palace, she giggles: “I know people are saying ‘Sweara Harding’.”
As nicknames go, it’s got a ring to it. But wide-eyed and indignant, Sarah, 32, admits although her new material’s ‘edgy’, the tag’s unjust.
“I wear my heart on my sleeve, I’m expressing who I am as a strong female. I’m not going to be adverse to the odd swear word,” she says.
“But it’s not Rihanna, it’s not full on f**ing this and I want to do this to you, not that I’ve a problem with that.
“It’s still pop music. Yes there is one track that has a bit of swearing but nothing majorly offensive.”
Now cosily tucked up in Buckinghamshire with boyfriend of 18 months, Mark, and her five dogs, Sarah’s a lot calmer than in her boozy days, when the nation watched painfully as she stumbled out of clubs, dramatically lost weight and even turned to cosmetic surgery in the wake of her break up with fiancé DJ Tom Crane.
Nevertheless, although today’s Sarah is sunnier and happier, it perhaps wouldn’t be wise to argue with her.
Even when she goes on, without a hint of irony, to add about her new record: “I’m s****ing myself, but that’s why I’m like – I want my band to f***ing jam with me, rock out and give me some love.”
Sweara – sorry, Sarah – might have swapped her partygirl days for a quieter life, but there’s no disputing she’s still the livewire of the Girls Aloud five.
Which would make her a watchable choice if she was picked to star alongside bandmate Cheryl Cole on the X Factor judging panel – something she admits she’d love.
The singer, who’s already appeared as a mentor on the Irish version of The Voice, laughs: “That would be a good line-up.
“Can you imagine me versus Cheryl?! I think it would be good fun.
“Me and Cheryl always have great banter on stage and she loves grabbing my bum and giving me a snog.
“She is terrible.”
Now that might just leave Simon Cowell speechless for once.
Sarah’s still close with her bandmates , who reunited in 2012 to mark their ten year anniversary, but have now returned to their solo projects – including, in two cases, motherhood.
Nadine Coyle has given birth to her first child, and recently Kimberley Walsh announced she is expecting with her long-term partner.
Sarah says: “I am over the moon that Kimberley and her boyfriend Justin are expecting their first.
“It has been really hard to keep it a secret!
“Kimberley texted me a couple of weeks ago and she is so excited.
“She is going to be a great mum.
“Both her and Nadine are very family orientated.
“When Nadine had her baby daughter, she texted a picture to me immediately.
“When we were all in the band, we thought Kimberley would be the first one to have kids . She has been broody for years.
“I also know that Cheryl is broody but we both have our animals.”
It’s got Sarah thinking, although she insists, for now, her dogs are enough.
“Maybe I should be having kids at my age.
“But I am still young and, while I do want them one day, right now I don’t even think I am responsible enough,” she laughs.
“I’ve got my dogs and I have my god children; three boys of three, six and nine and that will do.
“They are my baby fix for now.
“I will probably get more dogs and other animals before I have kids.
“Also, right now, my career is my focus.
“I am the only one of the girls who hasn’t done anything solo yet so I want to get that under my belt.”
She adds: “I realise that I am not getting any younger and I like to think that by 35, I would have kids. I don’t want to leave it too late.”
Sarah’s certainly in a better place now for setting up home than she’s previously been.
In 2011 the singer checked into rehab in South Africa after ‘hitting rock bottom’ following her split with Crane.
They’d begun dating in 2007 and had a turbulent relationship.
The reasons cited were ‘depression and alcohol addiction’ and Sarah’s since revealed she was also addicted to sleeping tablets.
Snaps of the star regularly showed her worse for wear on the London clubbing scene and her slim frame shrunk to a worrying size six.
She also turned to cosmetic surgery, emerging with freakishly large lips which she now admits were a mistake.
“Luckily my lips have gone down now,” she says.
“I was just curious to see what would happen but it looked terrible and I learnt my lesson and would never have anything done now – not even Botox.”
But the star has said her motto is the same as Marilyn Monroe’s – ‘Fear is stupid. So are regrets’ – and now she seems settled with Foster, 34, who she’s known since her teens when the pair delivered pizza together in their hometown, Manchester.
“I am more settled than I have ever been and a lot of that has been down to Mark,” smiles Sarah.
“We have a lot in common and he is the one guy in a long time I can implicitly trust.
“It helps having that background where we’ve known one another for years and for me it is difficult to trust men because of what has happened to me.”
Nevertheless, she says she’s not thinking wedding bells.
“I thought I wanted marriage but now I don’t know,” she insists.
“Now I’m taking it as it comes.”
She adds: “My 20s was definitely for break-ups and hangovers and, for me they were the most dramatic years.
“I was finding my way in life and it was very fast paced and it did get me in trouble.
“I have learned that the party ends at some point.
“I went through a lot of s*** – mine just got publicized.
“But I was never known for being a little Miss Goody Two shoes; even when I was at school I was jumping out of the classroom window and being grounded.
“I have grown up a lot but I do have my silly moments. I am such a light-weight and if I have a couple of drinks, that’s it for me!
“My life gets analysed because of what I have done and I am forever going to have that coming back and biting me on the a*** but we all make our mistakes.”
That’s our Sweara.
But you have to admire the star’s honesty. She’s grown up in the public gaze after being picked for Girls Aloud on ITV’s Popstars: The Rivals aged 20.
Before that the star, whose dad, John Hardman, is a musician, studied hair and beauty in Stockport and worked as a club promoter, a Pizza Hut waitress and even a debt collector.
But Girls Aloud shot her to fame, and despite the knocks and the less than flattering scrutiny she’s faced, she’s continued to plug away at her solo career since the group disbanded.
She won a role in 2009 film St Trinian’s 2 and contributed three solo songs to its soundtrack.
And she continued her acting foray in BBC film Freefall, and 2012 film Run for your Wife with Danny Dyer and Judi Dench
She even admits she was in the final two for movie X Men: First Class – the part of Emma Frost went to Mad Men’s January Jones.
But for now she’s all about the music – and her charity work.
She’s an ambassador for armed forces charities Coming Home, and Haig Housing.
It’s work she says helps her put her own life into perspective.
“A lot of people have been through far worse than me,” she says.
“After seeing people with no limbs and people in wheelchairs it makes me realise how lucky I am to be fit and healthy and alive.”
I have a sneaking suspicion ‘Scary’ Sarah has a softer side than most of us imagine.
Underneath all the bluster she admits she can be shy. And standing up on her own and performing solo material is nerve wracking.
“I’m so scared, but a good scared. An excited scared,” she says.
“I guess when you take time out of the limelight, your confidence does take a knocking.”
Nevertheless she’s obviously relishing re-inventing herself – hence the new bob and fringe.
“I want to do solo stuff for a while, I need to concentrate on me and myself,” she says.
“I’ve got a lot to say with this record. I haven’t been thrown in the deep end like Girls Aloud, I’m doing it the old school way.
“I’m appreciating every step of the way, it’s a really nice feeling.”
Please support Coming Home coming-home.org.uk , For more information about the charity, call 020 8685 5787
