As the news of Girls Aloud singer Sarah Harding's death sinks in, fans have been looking back at the audition which started it all for her in 2002.
Sarah Harding, 39, lost her battle with cancer on 5th September 2021, after she was diagnosed with advanced breast cancer in October 2020.
Harding shot to fame when she became a member of Girls Aloud in 2002, after auditioning on the ITV talent show Popstars: The Rivals.
Girls Aloud was unstoppable throughout the early naughties. The girlband had 20 consecutive top-ten singles and were nominated for five BRIT Awards.
They split up in 2013 and the girls have since gone on to act, model and even appear as judges on talent shows similar to the one which shot them to stardom.
Watch: Sarah Harding's Popstars audition
Popstars: The Rivals was a popular talent show which aired between September and December 2002.
The Rivals was a branch off the international Popstars franchise, which aired between 1999 and 2015 and saw successful contestants come together to form one new band.
The Rivals was slightly different, because it saw two new bands being formed, which then competed for the Christmas number one spot in the UK charts. Girls Aloud won over One True Voice in 2002.
You can watch Sarah Harding's winning audition on The Rivals in the video player below.
In 2013, the band went their separate ways and Harding moved into acting, featuring in the likes of St Trinian's, Bad Day and Coronation Street, also winning Celebrity Big Brother in 2017.
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Sarah's mum, Marie, shared the news that her daughter had passed away on social media and added that she had one final wish to be remembered for who she was and not for her battle with cancer.
"It's with deep heartbreak that today I'm sharing the news that my beautiful daughter Sarah has sadly passed away," she wrote on 5th September.
"Many of you will know of Sarah's battle with cancer and that she fought so strongly from her diagnosis until her last day. 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."
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"I know she won't want to be remembered for her fight against this terrible disease - she was a bright shining star and I hope that's how she can be remembered instead," she added.
Featured Image Credit: PA