Girls Aloud's I'll Stand By You (Sarah's Version): BBC Children in Need 2024 single in honour of Sarah Harding

The new version of the track will be released November 15, two days before what would've been Sarah's 43rd birthday

Girls Aloud I'll Stand By You Sarah Harding version Children in Need

Girls Aloud will honour late bandmate Sarah Harding with 2024 BBC Children in Need single I'll Stand By You (Sarah's Version).

Originally performed at Nadine Coyle, Kimberley Walsh, Nicola Roberts and Cheryl's The Girls Aloud Show tour earlier this year, the group will release a brand-new version with Sarah on lead vocals, 20 years after their version of the Pretenders' classic topped the Official Singles Chart.

Announcing the track, released on Friday November 15, Girls Aloud posted:

"This year marks the 20th anniversary of our BBC Children in Need single I’ll Stand By You. To celebrate and honour our amazing Sarah, we’re releasing a brand-new studio version of the track once again in support of BBC Children in Need."

They added: "I’ll Stand By You (Sarah’s Version) features Sarah on lead vocal throughout using vocals we discovered in the vault from the original recording sessions.

"The track played a key part in our The Girls Aloud Show arena tour this summer & was an emotional moment for us all."

Girls Aloud I'll Stand By You Sarah Harding version

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On hearing the new version, the Pretenders' Chrissie Hynde, who wrote the track alongside Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly, said:

"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!"

A new edit of the original video, featuring unseen archive footage, will also be released during the BBC Children in Need Appeal Show on November 15.

Girls Aloud's take on the track topped the Official Singles Chart for two consecutive weeks on its release for BBC Children in Need in November 2004, and has shifted a total of 300,000 UK chart units to date.

Sarah tragically passed away in September 2021 aged 39, after receiving an advanced stage breast cancer diagnosis in 2020. Since then, Nadine Coyle, Cheryl Tweedy, Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh have worked to raise over £1million for cancer charities, including The Sarah Harding Breast Cancer Appeal.

The news of I'll Stand By You (Sarah's Version)'s release comes as the group announce The Girls Aloud Show: Live at the O2, highlights from their recent reunion tour, will air on ITV on Sunday November 17.