Girls Aloud’s Sarah Harding: Why I gave up parties and fled to the country

Girls Aloud singer Sarah Harding has revealed she swapped her party lifestyle for a quiet life in the country after fearing she was “losing control”.

The 32-year-old, once nicknamed Sarah “Hardcore” Harding because of her partying, said she fled the spotlight as her priorities changed.

She made the move after a year living in Primrose Hill, where other celebrity residents include Harry Styles and Kate Moss.

Making a rare public appearance on the red carpet at the pre-Bafta’s InStyle party, she told the Standard: “I moved to Primrose Hill and rented a place but I didn’t have much of a private life. ”

She now lives in Buckinghamshire and says she is more interested in walking her dogs than being part of the London scene. “I don’t go out very often so when I do it is more of an occasion,” she said.

“When I lived in London there was something going on every night of the week and you never wanted to miss out. I always wanted to be the life and soul.

“That’s not my priority any more, I’ve got five animals at home. I love animals — I think they are the best therapy ever.”

In September 2011, Harding split from her fiancé, DJ Tom Crane, and sought help for her depression at a US clinic. She is now in a relationship with her childhood friend Mark Foster, also a DJ.

She said: “We’ve known each other since we were 17. We used to work together back home in Manchester. It’s a pretty comfortable relationship as we have known each other so long.”

After 10 years in Girls Aloud with Cheryl Cole, Kimberley Walsh, Nadine Coyle and Nicola Roberts, she is going solo.

She said: “I don’t have a record deal but the music I do have and in some ways that means I still have creative control and profit.”