Sarah Harding had hoped to attend her Gala dinner, says Girls Aloud bandmate Cheryl Tweedy

Sarah Harding had hoped to be able to attend her Gala dinner before she died, Girls Aloud bandmate Cheryl Tweedy has revealed.

Harding died of breast cancer in September last year at the age of 39, but revealed her final wish while staying with Tweedy weeks before her death. She was apparently keen to be able to thank those who had helped her during her illness.

"I asked her over and over again how we could help. Was there anything she truly wanted or needed?” wrote Tweedy in an article for Vogue.

“Finally she said to me: ‘I would love you to create an evening, a gala of some kind for me. If I am here and can attend I will be able to thank those who have helped me through all of this, and pay that forward in a way that will help others when I’m gone.’”

But the star didn’t get to attend the plans she’d suggested: “Unfortunately that wasn’t to be. Eight weeks later, Sarah passed.”

“The rest of Girls Aloud and I took up the baton soon after, rallying together to make sure we made Sarah’s last wish come true. I feel a great deal of responsibility to make it what she wanted and help create and provide help for others moving forward,” said Tweedy on the forthcoming Gala.

The gala has been titled The Primrose Ball – named after Harding’s favourite flower – and takes place in her memory on 8 October at The Londoner Hotel.

The evening will be hosted by Fearne Cotton and feature performances from the likes of Olly Alexander, Ricky Wilson and Chrissie Hynde.

According to Vogue, “all funds raised on the night will be used to fund the Sarah Harding Breast Cancer Appeal research project by Dr Sacha Howell.”

An original print of Harding will also be sold at an auction in the evening to raise money for the groundbreaking research into cancer.

Donated by The Connor Brothers and the Maddox Gallery, the artwork is an oil painted canvas of Harding accompanied by the words: “The Darkest Nights Produce the Brightest Stars.”

The Connor Brothers, aka James Golding and Mike Snelle, are a renowned art duo who’ve exhibited work alongside Banksy and Damian Hirst.

The oil painting and the hand-finished prints will be co-signed by the Connor Brothers, as well as Girls Aloud members Nicola Roberts, Cheryl, Kimberly Walsh and Nadine Coyle.