The Girls talk motherhood, beauty and what to expect from their upcoming tour

Boho belts, tank tops and low-slung jeans: fashion is in peak noughties nostalgia mode. And now, on the eve of the Girls Aloud reunion tour in May, we’re cranking up the tunes from the OG noughties girl band. Their fans may be (re)wearing their 2004 ’fits but, for the pop stars, a lot has changed, including their attitude to fame. ‘We don’t give a shit what people think of us,’ says Cheryl Cole.

‘We were really, really nervous the night before the tour was announced,’ admits Kimberley Walsh, who is joined by Cole and bandmates Nicola Roberts and Nadine Coyle today. The girls – now women in their late thirties and early forties – are in full popstar mode, all glossy hair, complementing nude outfits and in-jokes. There was little need for nerves. The news of a comeback caused hysteria among Millennials and the tour promptly sold out. But, as Cole puts it, ‘Under the circumstances it all felt a bit weird.’

The absence of bandmate Sarah Harding, who died from breast cancer in 2021, aged 39, hangs over the tour, but the girls are determined to pay tribute to her. ‘There are going to be so many amazing moments that celebrate Sarah,’ says Roberts. The band are tight-lipped about what these will entail but it’s thought that Harding’s original vocals may be used. ‘We’re not “us” without her so we’ve kept her involved,’ adds Walsh.

Reuniting as a group of four isn’t the only thing that’s different. Cole, Walsh and Coyle are now mothers. Has this influenced their views on touring? ‘If you knew me before I had my son, you don’t know me now,’ Cole muses. ‘I’m a different human being. With motherhood, your whole being and perspective on life changes. Now, performing is just for fun, it’s a joy.’

She’s back from the States with a solo album and an open mind about a reboot with her bandmates. But she might need to build some bridges with Cheryl, Nicola and Kimberley first, writes Nick Levine

During our hour-long interview, Nadine Coyle shows me a picture of a T-shirt a fan’s just tweeted to her. He’s had it made especially for her upcoming gig at London club G-A-Y. On the front is a photo of Girls Aloud and the tweet Coyle posted in March 2013, right after the group announced their separation. ‘You should know by now I had no part in any of this split business. I couldn’t stop them. I had the best time & want to keep going. Xxxx.’ Nadine shoots me a look, equal parts bemused and amused, that seems to say, ‘Fans, what are they like?’

Having reconnected with Girls Aloud’s producer and founder of Xenomania, Brian Higgins, Nadine has just released her first solo single since the group’s demise. Go To Work is a motivational pop song on which her voice, always the group’s best, sounds super-gutsy. ‘This song is a good bridge between Girls Aloud and some of the more “out there” songs I’ve recorded,’ she explains. ‘I’m reintroducing myself, and I don’t want to do it by smacking people round the face with some massive song that I’m just singing the hell out of.’

Since Girls Aloud ended, Nadine has moved back to London after nine years in LA. ‘I grew up in Northern Ireland where it was freezing. Having 26 degrees every day is great for a holiday but, after a while, it didn’t feel like my life,’ she says, her thick Derry accent gloriously unaffected by California. Nadine and her partner, former American football player Jason Bell, have also welcomed a daughter, Anaíya, who’s now three. ‘She thinks my job is so much fun,’ says Nadine proudly. ‘I might have to go away with work for a few days, but when I come back it feels like I actually get more time with her. So I feel very fortunate I can do that.’