When I was about 10 years old, I became obsessed with Girls Aloud. They\u2019d just formed on the ITV show Popstars: The Rivals, with their debut single, \u201cSound of the Underground\u201d, winning the battle for Christmas No 1 in 2002. The song was everywhere, and so were the group\u2019s five members: Cheryl, Nadine Coyle, Sarah Harding, Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh.<\/p>\n
Almost two decades later, I found myself wiping away tears as I wrote a tribute to Harding, who had died from breast cancer aged 39. The Stockport-raised singer had always been my favourite in the group \u2013 her irrepressible nature and absolute refusal to dial her personality down struck a chord. I loved the story of how she\u2019d cornered Boy George \u2013 after he dismissed Girls Aloud as \u201cjust a bunch of pretty girls prancing around on the stage\u201d \u2013 and forced him to apologise. I also admired her openness; where other pop groups were so squeaky clean and sanitised, she was frank about her issues with anxiety and self-doubt.<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\nopen image in gallery<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n (Macmillan)<\/span><\/div>\n Over the 11 or so years I\u2019ve worked at The Independent, I\u2019ve had to report extensively on celebrity deaths, many of them from cancer. It\u2019s a strange feeling, particularly when it\u2019s someone whose music you were raised on. And in that same time, cancer has been a near-permanent presence in my own life, too, from close relatives to much-loved friends.<\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n It\u2019s a strange feeling when someone whose music raised you dies<\/p>\n<\/div>\n I\u2019ve noticed that when it comes to that latter, at least in my own family, the word \u201ccancer\u201d almost becomes taboo, as though by not saying it, it might slip away unnoticed and leave us alone. When it\u2019s a public figure, however, perhaps it\u2019s the combination of familiarity and distance that enables us to talk more openly about the complex feelings and fears that surround such a rotten disease.\u00a0 And while you wouldn\u2019t wish poor health on anyone, seeing someone you look up to go through the same thing as you can be a strange source of comfort. Pop stars or Hollywood actors often appear untouchable \u2013 illness is one of the few truly unifying experiences that reminds us that, at the end of the day, we\u2019re all human.<\/p>\n Whether you\u2019re a rock star or a fan, a patient or a loved one, cancer doesn\u2019t discriminate, and neither should the support available.<\/p>\n Macmillan\u2019s new campaign, Whoever You Are, Whatever It Takes, shines a light on the real experiences of people living with cancer in the UK today. It aims to break down harmful misconceptions and make sure everyone can access the right information and support, no matter who they are or where they live.<\/p>\nWhoever You Are, Whatever It Takes<\/h2>\n