British singer, model and actress Sarah Harding, who had 21 UK Top 10 singles as a member of Girls Aloud, has died aged 39. Her mother Marie took to Harding’s Instagram to announce this sad news.

“It’s with deep heartbreak that today I’m sharing the news that my beautiful daughter Sarah has sadly passed away,” she wrote on Sunday, September 5. “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… She was a bright shining star and I hope that’s how she can be remembered instead.”

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How did Sarah Harding die?

While announcing her death, Harding’s mother wrote, “Many of you will know of Sarah’s battle with cancer and that she fought so strongly from her diagnosis until her last day,” adding, “I know she won’t want to be remembered for her fight against this terrible disease.”

In August 2020, the singer revealed that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer, which she said had spread to other parts of her body. The diagnosis, she said, had come earlier that year. "I'm currently undergoing weekly chemotherapy sessions and I am fighting as hard as I possibly can," she said at the time.

The singer, who was born in Ascot in Berkshire, back then thanked the NHS staff, her family, and friends for support, adding that she was "trying to keep positive". She also said that she had decided to go public with her diagnosis after being seen in a hospital.

Her statement at the time said, “I feel now is the right time to share what's been going on. There's no easy way to say this and actually it doesn't even feel real writing this, but here goes. Earlier this year I was diagnosed with breast cancer and a couple of weeks ago I received the devastating news that the cancer has advanced to other parts of my body.”

She also said, “I'm currently undergoing weekly chemotherapy sessions and I am fighting as hard as I possibly can. I understand this might be shocking to read on social media and that really isn't my intention… My amazing mum, family, and close friends are helping me through this, and I want to say a thank you to the wonderful NHS doctors and nurses who have been and continue to be heroes. I am doing my very best to keep positive and will keep you updated here with how I'm getting on. In the meantime, I hope you'll all understand and respect my request for privacy during this difficult time.”

Later, in December, Harding shared with her fans: “Hi everyone. Thank you so much for all the messages of love and support that I’ve received since my last post. Everyone has been so kind and reading your comments and DMs has been such a huge source of strength to me. I can’t deny that things are tough right now but I’m fighting as hard as I possibly can and being as brave as I know how.”