With a sell-out reunion tour coming up, 2024 is set to be a magical year for Girls Aloud. But with the group firmly back in the spotlight, we’re told worried mum Cheryl is feeling nervous about being back in the intense glare of showbiz again.
It was announced last year that the band would finally reunite onstage, bringing hits such as The Promise and Love Machine to arenas across the UK. The tour – dedicated to bandmate Sarah Harding, who died of breast cancer in 2021 – will see Cheryl, 40, Kimberley Walsh, 42, and Nadine Coyle and Nicola Roberts, both 38, back together 11 years after their split. And with tickets selling out in hours, we’re now told streaming platforms are desperate to land a deal with the girls for a Beckham-esque behind-the-scenes documentary.
An insider tells heat, “The Girls Aloud reunion is already set to be one of the most talked-about events of 2024, and everyone is desperate to get involved – including the big TV networks and streaming services, who are in a big-money bidding war. Netflix is favourite to sign the girls, and they want to do something like the Beckham documentary that covers both career and personal life.”
With the success of Beckham – which not only documented David’s football career, but also his juicy personal life with wife Victoria – we’re told producers are keen to explore multiple avenues with Girls Aloud.
“Producers know that fans can’t wait to see the girls together again, and how they’ll deal with the sad fact that Sarah isn’t there with them,” says our insider.
“They’ll also want to talk about the fallouts they’ve had, why they’re doing this now, and how they feel being back on stage. The girls all think it would be great to document their comeback, but they also know that it’s their personal lives – Cheryl’s especially – that bring the headlines. [The producers] want to focus on the three who are now mums, and how that changes the dynamic of the group.”
But while the others are said to be keen, our source says Cheryl is torn.
“She knows they’ll want to focus on her and son Bear. Until now, she has kept him out of the limelight, and she isn’t sure if she wants to show off their relationship. She keeps his face hidden and rarely speaks about him to keep his childhood as private as possible.”
Cheryl welcomed Bear, six, back in 2017, following her two-year romance with One Direction’s Liam Payne, 30. Despite shielding him from the spotlight, Cheryl recently revealed that her son had twigged his parents aren’t the average ma and pa, dubbing his showbiz parents “pretty cool”. And, just like his mother, Bear’s a natural when it comes to performing.
“Much to her dismay, Bear loves the limelight,” our source says. “He’s taken after his mum and dad – always putting on shows and wanting to be filmed. He’d love to be involved in a documentary, especially if Kimberley’s sons were to take part.”
A new documentary wouldn’t be the first time the women have shared details of their private lives. In 2006, E4 documentary Girls Aloud: Off The Record followed them in the run-up to their first arena tour. But it seems Cheryl no longer sees herself as the wild and free spirit she once was.
“That was all pre-Bear, and she didn’t care as much back then,” we’re told.
“Now, she wants to protect Bear as much as possible, but she also knows this is too big an opportunity to turn down. Celeb documentaries have changed – they’re a world away from the reality TV shows of the noughties. It’s not so much about revealing everything any more, just giving enough away to keep everyone happy. Plus, if it’s good enough for Posh and Becks, it’s good enough for her and Girls Aloud.”