ExCLUSIVE: Following their sold-out tour last year, Kimberley Walsh honored their late bandmate Sarah Harding and explained how their children 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.
On September 5, 2021, Sarah was diagnosed with breast cancer, which had spread to other areas of her body, and she passed away at the age of 39. 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.
Sarah’s memory was kept alive throughout the tour thanks to her iconic roles from Something New and The Promise blasting out to audiences night after night, something the girls were eager to keep in the show.
“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?’
We wanted to feel as though she was still with us because that was so crucial to 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. Sarah’s lead vocals were heard on I’ll Stand By You, a recording the band found while making tour preparations.
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.
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. We’re in a very different stage of our lives, Kimberley said, so we were able to enjoy it for ourselves while also seeing it through their eyes.
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”. She joked that her children might not care if she’s at home at night every night because it made sense not to be in the theater over the past few years.
She said, “I love the album, it is a real passion of mine, and I loved it.” 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. Being able to challenge myself was fun. Part two of Centre Stage would be a dream come true for me.
Kimberley might soon return to the stage, though. She expressed her desire to return to the theater because it embodies something so unique. “That is an environment her children haven’t been” properly immersed in “yet, due to their young ages.
Although her husband, Justin Scott, was formerly a member of the boy band Triple 8, and young Bobby wants to be a “singing builder,” Kimberley is not the only singer in their household. Kimberley pointed out that Bob had been wanting to model for a while. He’s really quite serious about it, “she said, before explaining that it was great for his confidence.
She continued, “We’re all learning, aren’t we, and we never really know what the right choice is,” adding that she and Bobby share traits. Kimberley performs a variety of shows in Manchester, including Morning Live, which she credits with being flexible with 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.”
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.”
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!”
Kimberley Walsh’s Matt Emulsion Paint in Blush Rose retails for $14 at Wickes and is available online at wickes. co. uk
Source: Mirror
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