Girls Aloud have been mocked by their own children for their ‘nakedness’ in the past and looking ‘weird’ in old music videos.
Cheryl, Nadine Coyle, Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh will hit the road in May and June 2024 in recognition of this month marking 21 years since they won Popstars: The Rivals with their late bandmate, Sarah Harding.
The chart-topping group revealed their toughest critics are their children, with Cheryl’s son Bear, six, who she co-parents with former One Direction heartthrob Liam Payne, 30, very unimpressed by their raunchy look in the early noughties.
In an interview with BBC Radio 2 on Thursday, Cheryl, 40, said: ‘He [Bear] says to me, “You look different, you sound different, this is weird. Why the nakedness? What’s with your voice?”‘
Nadine, 38, also revealed her daughter, Anaiya, nine, with American football player Jason Bell, 45, wasn’t the biggest fan of Girls Aloud either.
Racy: Girls Aloud have been mocked by their own children for their ‘nakedness’ in the past and looking ‘weird’ in old music videos (pictured in 2005)
Comeback tour! The group revealed their toughest critics are their children (pictured in 2005, L-R Nicola Roberts, Nadine Coyle, Kimberley Walsh, the late Sarah Harding and Cheryl)
Now: (L-R) Nadine, Nicola, Kimberley and Cheryl) will hit the road in May and June 2024 in recognition of this month marking 21 years since they won Popstars: The Rivals
Nadine said: ‘She’s never really liked any of the Girls Aloud stuff because I don’t smile enough, so I don’t look like myself to her.’
Kimberley, 42, who has sons Bobby, six, Cole, four, and Nate, two, with her husband, former Triple 8 star Justin Scott, reasoned: ‘They don’t think you should have existed before they were alive, that’s all it is.’
Her three boys have a slightly different outlook on the foursome’s musical past, with the pop star’s brood wanting to know more as interest continues to surge.
But watching their mum and her friends on stage will definitely be a different change of pace from their usual play dates.
Kimberley added: ‘Mine are starting to get interested. People are saying stuff about Girls Aloud and they want to know what the fuss is about.
‘But it’ll be weird for them. They’ll be coming to see us do something so different to normal. We usually just have playdates round at each other’s houses.’
Nicola, 38, quipped: ‘It will literally be like the mums have turned into superheroes.’
Their domesticated family lives are worlds away from their noughties pop girl image.
‘Weird’: ‘They don’t think you should have existed before they were alive, that’s all it is,’ reasoned mother-of-three, said Kimberley (pictured in 2012)
Icons: Girls Aloud originally formed in 2002 on ITV ‘s Pop Stars: The Rivals and shot to fame, achieving 20 top-ten singles and five BRIT award nominations
Her love: Cheryl, 40, shares her son Bear, six, with ex Liam Payne and keeps his life very private (pictured together)
Parent: Kimberley, 42, is mum to three sons Bobby, eight, Cole, six and Nate, two, with husband Justin Scott (pictured this week)
Busy mum life: Nadine, 38, shares daughter Anaíya, nine, with Jason Bell (pictured in 2019)
Cheryl and Kimberley discussed whether they would get heat for their lyrics in the present day.
They also pondered over the chorus on Wake Me Up: ‘You treat me rough to show me you care, and I just can’t refuse.’
While Nadine said you would want to ‘karate chop’ someone in the face for treating you poorly, Cheryl argued the lyrics have stood the test of time.
The Call My Name songstress believes the song is all about a ‘treat ’em mean to keep ’em keen’ mentality, noting that the song can be interpreted in a myriad of ways.
The band confirmed they will not be recording a new album or a music video, despite previous reports – the quartet just want to celebrate their discography.
‘There is no new music and there is no video – although we’ve shot a commercial,’ stated Nadine.
Cheryl shared in a statement: ‘We all started talking about the possibility of doing something to celebrate Girls Aloud’s 20-year anniversary a few years ago. The anniversary seemed like an obvious thing that we would celebrate.
‘But when Sarah fell ill all priorities changed. She passed away a year before the anniversary and it just didn’t feel right, it felt too soon.’
The pop group want to use the tour as an opportunity to ‘celebrate’ their late friend and colleague – Sarah Harding.
Cheryl added: ‘But now, I think there is an energy that does makes it feel right. It’s the right time to celebrate Sarah, it’s the right time to celebrate the band and the right time to celebrate the fact we can still do this 21 years later. That’s a big honour in lots of ways.’
Kimberley said: ‘Over the last year, we’ve felt this outpouring of love – obviously towards Sarah, but actually towards all of us as a group.
‘And I guess it’s ignited something in all of us again. It feels like something has changed and it does feel like the right time to celebrate Sarah and the 20-year anniversary that we didn’t celebrate at the time.’
The iconic British girls group are hopeful fans will enjoy the tour as much as them.
Pre-sale for their tour will kick off at 9am, Wednesday November 29. General ticket sale will begin on 9am, Friday, December 1.
In Sarah’s memory: The quartet felt the tour would be a good opportunity ‘to celebrate’ their late friend and former bandmate Sarah Harding (pictured in 2009)
We’re back! The group are hoping fans across the UK and Ireland will enjoy the tour next May and June