Nicola Roberts pays emotional tribute to Sarah Harding two years after her death

Two years following her tragic passing, Nicola Roberts has shared an emotional tribute to her 'vivacious' bandmate Sarah Harding, fondly remembering her as the element of unpredictability in Girls Aloud.

Sarah, who was diagnosed with breast cancer that later spread, sadly passed away at the age of 39 on September 5, 2021.

During an appearance on Friday's Good Morning Britain, Nicola, 37, admitted that she's still in denial over the heartbreaking loss, which she described as 'harrowing.'

However, the red-haired beauty insisted that helping to push forward the BCAN-RAY project in Sarah's honour is something she and the rest of Girls Aloud find 'so important.'

BCAN-RAY (Breast Cancer Risk Assessment in Young Women) was set up following Sarah’s dying wish to find new ways to spot the signs of the disease earlier and stop it cutting lives like hers short.

Asked how she feels, Nicola said: 'It's unbelievably conflicting, and I have to somewhat emotionally switch off to get through the chat.'

'From something so heartbreaking we are here to speak about something so hopeful. You have to focus on pushing forward or you fall apart. It's harrowing.'

Remembering Sarah's personality, Nicola gushed: 'She was present in every moment. She brought her self to every moment. She never tried to be anyone else.'

'You got Sarah in all her glory. So authentic. The vivaciousness. She was sparky and off-the-cuff. She was the unpredictability in our group. She's just so missed.'

'For her, for her mum at home, her family and friends, she'd already created a legacy in her performances, and her singing and songs.'