Girls Aloud's Kimberley Walsh admits 'we're in a different stage' after reunion

Daily Mirror

4 days ago

EXCLUSIVE: Kimberley Walsh has opened up about her time with Girls Aloud following their sold-out tour last year, honouring their late bandmate, Sarah Harding, and how their kids were blown away on tour
Kimberley Walsh admits that she and her Girls Aloud bandmates are now in a "different stage" of their lives. The chart-mauling group, which launched in 2002, reunited last year to celebrate their 20th anniversary and also honour their late bandmate, Sarah Harding.
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Sarah died aged just 39, on September 5, 2021, after she was diagnosed with breast cancer, which had metastasised to other parts of her body. Prior to her death, the singer had told her bandmates it was her wish that they carry on and honour her, as well as the legacy of the band.
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Throughout the tour, Kimberley, Cheryl Tweedy, Nicola Roberts and Nadine Coyle kept Sarah's memory alive, with her iconic parts from Something New and The Promise blasting out to audiences night after night, something the girls were keen to keep in the show.
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"I think people were having a really good time," Kimberley exclusively told the Mirror, adding: "It did feel really special." Speaking about including Sarah, the Bradford-born singer, actress, and presenter said: "That was the biggest challenge and that was the focus for all of us during those creative meetings, 'How do we give Sarah her moment and keep her flowing throughout the show?'
"For us, that was so important; we wanted to feel like she was still with us. I do think we achieved that, we tried to bring it back to her whenever possible and give everybody that time to reminisce and celebrate her." During the show, Sarah's lead vocals played during I'll Stand By You, a recording the band discovered when preparing for the tour.
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Kimberley said: "That was a tough moment every night, but we all needed it too, we all needed to take that minute. As hard as it was, I loved that part of the show." The tour was also very different, with Kimberley, Cheryl and Nadine's children seeing their mum, and Auntie Nicola as popstars for the first time.
"I think it was a little bit mind-blowing for them," Kimberley laughed, before explaining her children, Bobby, nine, Cole, seven and two-year-old Nate, know her mainly for her presenting work. "I don't think they really got it until they turned up at the arena for the first show," she explained.
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But it was the reaction from the sold-out audience which left her children baffled. "They started off finding it weird and ended quite enjoying it," she laughed. The group had their children on the tour buses with them. There's just six months between Nadine's daughter, Anaíya and Kimberley's eldest, Bobby.
"There's only a few months between Cole and Bear [Cheryl's son with the late Liam Payne], and everyone just looked after Nate because he was the baby," she said, adding it was fun for the children to enjoy the celebrations together. 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."
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Kimberley, however, has put her solo career on hold following the birth of Nate in June 2021. Her debut album, Centre Stage, which charted at Number 18, became a fan favourite. "I've taken a step back from musical theatre over the last few years, with Nate being so young," she said.
She explained that she didn't want to miss any vital moments of her children's lives, as she feels as though she'd just had Nate. "It made sense not to be in the theatre over the last few years," she said, while laughing that in a few years, her children may not care if she's home at bedtime every night.
"It is a real passion of mine, the album, I love the album, it was a really special time for me," she said. Adding: "I'd just discovered my voice a bit more, realising what I was capable of doing, which was a bit of a revelation for me. It was fun to be able to challenge myself. I'd love to do a Centre Stage part two."
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Could Kimberley be back on stage any time soon though? She said: "I would love to be back on stage in the theatre, there's something so special about that environment." That is an environment her children haven't been "properly immersed in" yet, due to their young ages.
Kimberley isn't the only singer in their household, though, with her husband Justin Scott, previously being a member of the boyband Triple 8, and young Bobby wants to be a "singing builder." Kimberley explained that Bob had been wanting to model for several years. "He's really quite serious about it," she said, before explaining that it was great for his confidence.
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"We're all learning aren't we, we never really know what the right decision is," she said, but added that she and Bobby have a similar personality. Away from singing and acting, Kimberley keeps herself busy, presenting a various of shows, including Morning Live, in Manchester, which she credits for working around her schedule.
She said: "I don't want to be away from the kids too much. And the tour is probably one of the most full-on things I've done over the last few years. But again, they were able to be involved. They were thrilled about that. They were able to come on the bus and be on tour with us, which was a really good experience for them."
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Most recently, she launched her third paint shade, Blush Rose, with Wickes. "I've always been really into DIY and interiors," she said, adding it's been one of the most exciting projects she's done. "And I've done a lot of fun stuff over the years! But in my life now, I absolutely love my home. I love interiors," Kimberley laughed.
Speaking about getting her London home to where she wants it to be, the singer said: "When I started working with Wickes three or four years ago, my house really needed to be redecorated. I'd been in it for over ten years, and it was looking a bit tired. I was so ready to transform it. So now, I feel like it's like we've just moved in! I love walking into each space and seeing the changes I've made - seeing my paint colours in all their glory. They really suit my home. I've got a really traditional home, and a lot of the paints have that vintage feel to them."
The majority of the redecorating was done during Nate's nap times. She said: "I've really enjoyed the time I spent decorating and doing DIY in the home. It's a nice way of escaping for a minute. When I get time to just paint all day, I can really get into it—put my music on, get the tea flowing, get the biscuits out, and just forget about everything but be mindful. Because as a mum of three with various jobs, my brain's quite busy! It's actually a positive thing."
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Away from Morning Live, singing and acting, Kimberley also fancies fronting a new "amazing concept" for a DIY show. "I know there's a lot of them around, but it's tricky to find a different angle sometimes, but they are so addictive," she joked. She continued: "I think it would need to be geared more around giving people the tools to do stuff themselves, because it can be expensive to pay tradesmen, you should only be doing that if it's something you can't do yourself. Just give it a go, but we'll see, we'll work on that!"
Speaking about social media and helping people with ideas, Kimberley said: "If money is tight and you're trying to do a transformation, you need to save money where you can. For me, with something like painting, practice makes perfect. Also, there's so many tutorials online. DIY can feel overwhelming, but nothing is impossible!"
Matt Emulsion Paint in Blush Rose by Kimberley Walsh,£14, from branches of Wickes and online at wickes.co.uk