As they prepare to release the official 2024 Children In Need single, Girls Aloud have hinted at what’s to come in the future.
The group will release I’ll Stand By You (Sarah’s Version) on Friday, November 15, marking 20 years since their cover of The Pretenders classic was released as a Children In Need single in 2004 and featuring newly-discovered lead vocals from the late Sarah Harding.
Now, in a new chat for ‘The Girls Aloud Show: The Interview’, which available to stream now on ITVX, The Promise hitmakers, who recently completed a sold-out reunion tour, reflected on what’s to come.
Cheryl said: “We’re catching our breath! One thing I have learnt in my infinite wisdom, at my ripe age, is that you can genuinely never say never.”
“I don’t think we saw ourselves doing this tour,” added Nicola Roberts. “At one time, we didn’t think we could see us doing this.”
When host Ben Shephard noted that Cheryl once insisted it was “never going to happen”, Nicola quipped: “Cheryl says a lot of things!”
Harding’s previously-unheard lead vocals were discovered when they were pulling together material for their 2024 reunion tour, with I’ll Stand By You (Sarah’s Version) due out Friday, November 15.
“The track played a key part in our ‘The Girls Aloud Show’ arena tour this summer and was an emotional moment for us all,” Girls Aloud wrote in a joint statement.
Pretenders frontwoman Chrissie Hynde – who wrote the song with Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly – added: “How wonderful to hear I’ll Stand By You with the lovely vocals of Sarah Harding leading the way for BBC Children in Need. Happy Christmas all!”
Proceeds from the single will benefit BBC Children In Need projects working with children in communities across the UK.
