Girls Aloud formed in 2002 after winning the UK television competition Popstars: The Rivals.
The group was created on the ITV program Popstars: The Rivals, which aired in 2002. Cheryl Tweedy, Nadine Coyle, Sarah Harding, Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh were selected to form the winning girl group, while the show also created the boy group One True Voice.
Girls Aloud’s debut single, “Sound of the Underground,” was released in December 2002 and reached number one on the UK Singles Chart. The group went on to produce a long run of British pop hits and received critical recognition for inventive production and vocal arrangements.
Some accounts date Girls Aloud from the audition and television-production period, but 2002 is the standard formation year. The group later reunited for a 2024 single and tour-related activity, following the death of Sarah Harding in 2021.