Sarah Harding: She was always doing 100 miles per hour

Sarah Harding will be remembered by music producer Brian Higgins as “the one having the most fun” when the studio was at its busiest.

After being diagnosed with breast cancer, the Girls Aloud singer died at the age of 39. Throughout their career, Brian and Miranda Cooper, a songwriter, worked with the band. He tells Radio 1 Newsbeat, “We wanted to build a highly forceful pop and that suited Sarah down to the ground.”

“Sarah’s excitement about being back was always on her sleeve whenever we started a new record; she was so thrilled and full of optimism about what was coming.”

“It’s not that the other girls weren’t entertaining; it’s simply that Sarah was constantly enthusiastic and moving at 100 miles per hour.”

Miranda wrote the majority of the songs for Girls Aloud, and she adds that after ten years of working with them, Sarah never changed and never failed to make them laugh.

Sarah “simply nailed” recording the Brit Award-winning number one song, The Promise, in which she delivers arguably her most iconic line: Here I am, walking primrose, wondering when I’ll see you again, according to Miranda.

Sarah penned her autobiography, Hear Me Out, after a song she composed for Girls Aloud’s second album, after learning of her cancer diagnosis.

In March, a fan-led campaign sent the 17-year-old song to the top of the iTunes charts.

Miranda recalls the composition and recording process for it as “she just sang it as it came out on the record.”

“It sounded fantastic, and it’s incredible that it got a second opportunity recently, although in tragic circumstances, but it was wonderful to see it get the love it deserved.”

“It was Sarah,” Brian adds, “all of her emotions were on display, and when she needed to write something wonderful, she did.” She was the type of person who did things like that. She left a lasting impression.