It was the internal feuding that led to Girls Aloud's split back in 2013, and 12 years on, those underlying tensions between Cheryl, Nadine Coyle, Kimberley Walsh and Nicola Roberts are still threatening the foursome’s reunion tour.
Whether it’s bickering over whether to include covers on their set list while live on the radio (as happened last week), or Nadine reportedly feeling left out of the other three's close friendship a source tells heat there’s a lot of drama behind the scenes – with the girls desperately trying to stop it exploding.
As Cheryl recently admitted, “We don’t do disagreements, we have differences in opinions.”
We’re told, “While Cheryl and Nadine managed to mend their relationship in the wake of Sarah’s illness and passing, cracks have started to re-emerge in recent weeks during rehearsals for the tour. It’s becoming clear that there is still some conflict lingering beneath the surface."
Sarah Harding sadly died of breast cancer in 2021, and her former bandmates vowed to honour her memory with their reunion tour.
“Everything changed after Sarah became ill and died,” we’re told. “Both Cheryl and Nadine agreed that their past feud wasn’t important – any bad feeling was water under the bridge and that they had to move forward.
“But since spending so much time together in meetings and rehearsals, they’ve been clashing again. Nadine is fairly adamant on the set list, as is Cheryl, and they’re both the most fiery out of the four, as well as being very alike, which all contributes to their conflict.
"There have been moments where those differences of opinion tip into some strong words, which is not only causing tension, but also tarnishing the fresh start everyone had hoped for.”
In contrast with the first time around, however, Cheryl, 40, Nadine, 38, Kimberley, 42, and Nicola, 38, are now older and wiser, and know not to dwell on the smaller, inconsequential things. In their group interview with Vogue last November – their first together in ten years – Cheryl shared, “At this age, you gain perspective and you stop caring about all the stupid stuff that would drive you crazy in your twenties. I’ve never felt more comfortable in my skin.”
She also said, “This is about celebrating the 20 years we’ve had. So, the tour has got to be inclusive of Sarah because she’s such a massive part of our make-up. It will never feel like the old Girls Aloud again, but we’ve reached a point where we feel ready to celebrate all of it, Sarah included. I see it more as a celebration of a milestone. And listen, it’s going to be unreal – the nostalgia of your life.”
As a result, all four are making a concerted effort to change the dynamics. “Kimberly and Nicola feel very torn,” says our insider. “While they’re far closer to Cheryl, the last thing they want to do is make it seem like it’s three against one, especially with Sarah no longer around, so they’re both trying to be as impartial as possible and focusing on making the show as good as it can be.
“They’re all trying to put on a smile and keep pressing forward as if everything is OK, as ultimately none of them want to ruin what should be an amazing experience. Cheryl knows the girls sometimes look to her as the leader, so she’s going to work hard to keep the peace. But there are a lot of people behind the scenes who are genuinely concerned this could all explode and lead to some major rows.”
