Kimberley Walsh admits Girls Aloud are 'in a different stage' as she reflects on emotional reunion and reveals how their kids were 'blown away' on tour
The iconic girl band was made up of Kimberley, 43, Nadine Coyle, Cheryl, Nicola Roberts and Sarah Harding, until her tragic death from breast cancer in 2021, aged 39.
In May last year, the group returned to the stage for the first time in 11 years to go on a huge UK tour, where their late bandmate was kept as the focus throughout.
The show included songs dedicated to Sarah, as well as emotional montages of the late star and a rendition of I'll Stand By You featuring her vocals.
In a new interview, Kimberley, 43, admitted it was the band's biggest challenge to ensure Sarah had her moment.
She told the Mirror: 'That was a tough moment every night, but we all needed it too, we all needed the minute. As hard as it was, I loved that part of the show.'
The tour was also special for another reason - it was the first time Kimberley, Cheryl, and Nadine's children saw their mums, and 'Auntie Nicola,' as popstars.
'I think it was a little bit mind-blowing for them,' Kimberley laughed, explaining that her children - Bobby, nine, Cole, seven, and two-year-old Nate - mostly know her for her presenting work.
The singer revealed that the group brought their children along on the tour buses and said it was fun for the kids to enjoy the celebrations together.
Nadine's daughter Anaíya is just six months younger than Kimberley's eldest, Bobby, while there is are only a few months between Cole and Bear (Cheryl's son with the late Liam Payne).
Kimberley added: 'For us as mums, we're in a very different stage of our lives, so we were able to enjoy it for ourselves but also see it through their eyes.'
It comes after the star revealed that during the rehearsals for the reunion, the group had 'let it all out' so that they could be strong enough to get through the live shows.
However, she added how important they all knew it was to follow Sarah's wishes and show how she was an integral part of the band.
She also admitted that despite it being 'tough' for them, they wanted to be able to honour and remember their friend.
Speaking to The Sun, she explained: 'She wanted us to do it. She made it clear when she was here, but equally we felt it isn't Girls Aloud without her. She's such a massive part of it, so we wanted to keep her part of it. We're trying to keep her spirit alive.'
She continued: 'There wasn't just one moment of her, we made the whole show have a thread of her throughout. And at times we were like: "Is this actually too sad?" Because for us it felt just gut-wrenching. But then, equally, she deserved that time and for people to remember her.'
Kimberley said the end result was 'crazy emotional', but described hearing Sarah's vocals in arenas as 'epic' and confessed celebrating their bandmate alongside the fans had ended up being a 'cathartic' experience for the group.
She said: 'It's been cathartic for all of us to have that time and to almost grieve with the fans. They've grown up with us.
'And there's no denying that her energy was really missed on stage. But I think everybody could feel that she was still very much intertwined within the show and the band.'
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