Her devastated mother Marie announced the news on Instagram, describing her “beautiful” daughter as “a bright shining star”.
The talented singer, who performed with the girl group from 2002 to 2013, died yesterday morning, weeks after revealing the disease was terminal.
Marie said: “It’s with deep heartbreak that I’m sharing the news that my beautiful daughter Sarah has sadly passed away.
“She fought so strongly from her diagnosis until her last day.
“She slipped away peacefully this morning. I’d like to thank everyone for their kind support over the past year. It meant the world to Sarah, and it gave her great strength and comfort to know she was loved. I know she won’t want to be remembered for her fight against this terrible disease – she was a bright shining star and I hope that’s how she can be remembered.”
Record producer Pete Waterman led tributes to the singer who he auditioned for ITV’s Popstars: The Rivals in 2002 when she was 21.
He said: “I remember going to her house in Manchester to tell her that she was picked to go into the group. She ran upstairs and was jumping on the bed with joy.
“Sarah was a delightful young kid, full of life.This is a tragedy.”
Louis Walsh, who was on the show’s audition panel with Pete and Spice Girls star Geri Horner, said: “She was always fun, the life and soul of the party. It’s so unfair. I’ll remember her with great fondness.”
And Geri tweeted: “Rest in peace, Sarah Harding. You’ll be remembered for the light and joy you brought to the world.”
Sarah was in Girls Aloud with Cheryl Cole (then Tweedy), Nadine Coyle, Kimberly Walsh and Nicola Roberts. They had four UK No 1s and 21 Top 10 singles and won a Brit Award for best single for The Promise in 2009.
Nadine, 36, said she was “devastated” about her bandmate’s death.
She wrote on Instagram: “I can’t think of words that could possibly express how I feel about this girl and what she means to me. I know so many will be feeling this way.”
Sarah’s death comes just over a year after she revealed her diagnosis.
In March, she released her autobiography Hear Me Out explaining that talking about it was “scary” but “the right thing to do”.
She wrote: “Maybe if I spoke out, it could help get the message across how important it is to get checked out if you have concerns.”
The singer underwent a mastectomy and intensive chemotherapy but said in March that the cancer had spread to her spine.
Sarah made her stage debut in Ghost – The Musical in 2016 and had roles in films St Trinians 2: The Legend of Fritton’s Gold in 2009 and Run for Your Wife in 2012. She won Celebrity Big Brother in 2017.
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