Girls Aloud: Our 2003

By Tom Bishop
BBC News Online

Bandmates Sarah Harding (centre), Kimberley Walsh and Cheryl Tweedy

In the year since forming on ITV1 talent show Popstars: The Rivals, Girls Aloud have stayed in the news.

Hits No Good Advice, Life Got Cold and Jump followed their Number One debut single Sound of the Underground, while away from the charts group member Cheryl Tweedy was found guilty of assault in October.

BBC News Online asked the band's Sarah Harding, 22, about their year in the spotlight.

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It has been a very busy year for Girls Aloud. How has it felt to be in the middle of it all?
It has become a bit of a blur. Obvious highlights include starting the year at Number One and releasing our album. Now things are taking off for us in Europe, where we're gaining a lot of fans. We have been very lucky.

Were you afraid Cheryl Tweedy's court case would overshadow the band?
No, not at all - we were all behind one another. I know people find it hard to accept but it was completely separate to everything we do as Girls Aloud.

Do people now see you as a pop act in your own right, or are you still "those girls from Pop Stars: The Rivals"?
We definitely feel as if we have come into our own this year. The single was a great start, and I think people were surprised by how good our album was. We wanted every song to sound as good as a single, and I think people appreciated that.

Girls Aloud's debut single was Number One for a month

Did you feel sorry for One True Voice, who split after losing your chart race?
Of course, because they are all talented boys who worked as hard as us and deserved to do well out of it. They just had the wrong team behind them and the wrong songs. For whatever reason, they did not gel as a group in the same way as we have.

Have TV talent shows had their day?
This year's Pop Idol was not as exciting as the last one. It is becoming a bit repetitive and not many finalists stood out for me. Maybe they should alter the format slightly.

How could they keep it interesting?
The show we were on had the rivalry aspect, which kept it fresh. But the focus needs to stay on their singing ability rather than just their personalities.

Which musical act impressed you most in 2003?
It has to be The Darkness. I like a bit of comedy in music.

Who is your top tip for 2004?
Will Young, because he locked himself away to work on his new album and has earned a lot of respect for doing so.

What are Girls Aloud's hopes for the coming year?
We will see if things take off in Asia, then if everything else goes well we'll try America. We're taking things as they come in that respect. We also want to record our second album, with all five of us having more input in the writing side. Then hopefully we'll go on tour.