Kimberley Walsh reveals future of Girls Aloud following lucrative comeback tour as she opens up about her ‘anxiety’

Kimberley Walsh has revealed the future of Girls Aloud following their lucrative comeback tour, which saw them pay tribute to late bandmate Sarah Harding.

The 42-year-old singer told MailOnline she would never have agreed to perform with her co-stars Cheryl, Nadine Coyle and Nicola Roberts a decade ago, but is relieved she took the risk with their 32-concert reunion.

Mother-of-three Kimberley says the experience of playing their hits to sold-out arenas was a “privilege” and she wouldn’t rule out going back on tour and doing it all again.

Reuniting with her bandmates on stage was made even more special when they honored Sarah, who tragically passed away from breast cancer in 2021 at the age of 39.

Although she loved performing across the country, Kimberley admitted she suffered from ‘anxiety’ at having to leave her three children for the first time.

Kimberley said: ‘If you had asked me 10 years ago if we were going to do this tour, I probably would have said no. And it wasn’t because I had a bad feeling about the band, I just thought it wasn’t meant to be.

‘But the response to this tour has been overwhelming and I don’t think any of us realised it would be on such a large scale. It’s been such a positive experience on so many levels.

‘Being with the girls now and being able to share everything with them as mothers and appreciate every aspect of it in a different way is a privilege I never thought I would have.

“There are no plans at this point, but I would never say it’s final, it’s an open book now and whatever happens will happen. If it all comes back into alignment and feels like something we want to do, never say never.”

The star described the tribute to Sarah as “cathartic” after the group performed with the late singer’s vocals during their song I’ll Stand By You.

They also remembered Sarah, who was diagnosed with cancer in August 2020 and passed away a year later, by playing footage of her singing one of their biggest hits, The Promise, by herself as Cheryl, Nadine, Nicola and Kimberley looked on.

Kimberley added: ‘Honoring Sarah was quite cathartic, it really was, as tough as the first part was, the planning – the rehearsals without her were painful.

“But when we saw how honored she was, how her voice sounded in the arena again, how the people showed their support for her, and how happy it made her mother, we felt really great.”

Kimberley says the tour gave Girls Aloud the chance to introduce their music to a new generation of fans, including her young children Bobby, 10, Cole, 7, and Nate, 3, who she shares with husband Justin Scott.

And the Morning Live presenter believes there is a lack of pop music at the moment, and that Girls Aloud and music lovers are therefore looking forward to a soundtrack that isn’t there.

She said: ‘The younger generation responded so well to Girls Aloud.

“I didn’t write the songs, but we have some great songs, and they transcend generations. The music is pretty timeless because it stands on its own in a way, we have our own niche and our own style… It ages pretty well.

‘Music in general is so different. This generation is craving something that isn’t being provided now. Music should be about escapism and joy, but in my opinion there’s not enough pop music anymore.’

Kimberley admits that going on tour this year was a completely different experience to when she performed with Girls Aloud in their glory days of the noughties.

The band rose to fame after winning the ITV show Popstars: The Rivals in 2002. Their debut single Sound of the Underground topped the charts and went to number one on the Christmas show.

Kimberley, now a mother of three boys, says she felt uncomfortable leaving them alone for the first time in May for the premiere.

She said: ‘The first few days I was very anxious about being away from the boys as I had never been apart from them for more than one night.

‘I previously had two nights for a job, which was quite an achievement for me, because I’m quite a softie.

‘I had anxiety when we were in Dublin because I was gone for five days… but when I got there and checked into a hotel room by myself, I thought, you know what, I’m going to be completely out of my depth on this tour, this is insane, because I haven’t done that for maybe 10 years.

‘Every time I leave for work, it’s for Morning Live and I have to get up at 4:30, so I don’t get the benefits of a night out.

“So, at first it was a novelty to be away and have so much time because it’s so rare, but I missed them terribly. We’re not used to being apart and it was pure emotion when I saw them again.”

Kimberley says that unlike most mothers, she was actually dreading sending her children back to school this week after the summer holidays because she missed them so much on tour.

But thanks to a partnership with Warburtons, she was able to soften the blow by providing her sons with a delicious packed lunch for their first week back at school.

She said: ‘I basically bribed them with whatever was in their packed lunches, which helped. It’s amazing how the little things are big wins for them. As soon as I told them mine could have strawberries and popcorn on their first day back, they were over the moon.

“They’re really good boys, they have their moments of course, but it’s been a lovely summer. I know some parents were desperate to get them back to school, but after being on tour and a year that’s flown by, I was desperate to spend as much time with them as possible, so it was sad to see them go this week.”

Kimberley hopes to restore confidence in families after new research from Warburtons found 60 per cent of parents are concerned about the nutritional value of their child’s lunchbox, while only 26 per cent think they are.

She said: ‘I was surprised to hear so many parents were concerned that they were not giving their children what they needed in their packed lunches, while they were concerned about whether their children were getting a healthy and balanced diet.

‘I thought I could get involved and give parents the confidence that there would be no guilt or worry involved.

‘My kids love their packed lunches and it’s all about what you can hide in them, like the sandwiches and all the little things you add to them.

“You’re probably giving them a much more balanced diet than what they would eat if you didn’t have any control.”

• Kimberley Walsh has partnered with Warburtons to show how sandwiches can be part of a healthy and balanced lunch this back to school season. For quick and easy lunchbox inspiration, check out the Warburtons bakery range, including their Protein Thin Bagels, Half and Half Medium Loaf and famous Toastie. Visit warburtons.co.uk