Sarah Harding has wanted to launch a solo career for a "long time".
The 32-year-old star was catapulted to the spotlight alongside Cheryl Cole, Nadine Coyle, Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh in Girls Aloud and since the band split last year the blonde beauty thinks it's the "right time" for her forge her own legacy in the music industry.
Quizzed on whether it's daunting going solo, she said: "Yeah of course! But it something that I have wanted to do for a long time and I think now is the right time (hopefully!). "
Sarah - who is performing a showcase gig at the O2 Academy Islington, north London on March 26 - will miss the "banter" she shared with her former bandmates and the support they gave each other during performances.
She added in an interview with BANG Showbiz: "[I will miss] being part of a team and having them there to back you up on stage and the banter! "
The star is working on penning tracks and is excited about getting her teeth into aspects of the music industry which she wasn't able to explore during her time in the band.
Sarah added: "I think so! I'm doing a lot more writing now. Whilst in the group I didn't get much chance."

Janelle Monáe doesn't want to dress sexily.
The 'Tightrope' singer feels her voice should be the main focus of people's attention when they are watching her perform, rather than her body.
She said: "There are no women who perform fully clothed - still to this day there aren't. To me, that was a problem, to say 'If you want to be in the music industry, you need to be able to sell sex' ... I want to be in control of my body. I don't ever want a man or a woman to tell me to dress that way. I think its up to me."
Janelle, 28, also said she never takes too long thinking about her stage costumes, favouring black suits, because worrying about her wardrobe interferes with her creativity.
She added in an interview with Britain's Marie Claire magazine: "If I have to think about my outfit for longer than, like, two minutes, I've wasted my time. Who wants to think about, 'What am I going to wear to this performance?' I need to be focusing on creating, changing the world."

Enrique Iglesias enjoys "crazy" sex.
The 38-year-old singer - who has been in an on/off relationship with tennis player Anna Kournikova since 2001 - admits his intimate preferences depends on "how drunk" he is, but admits he has problems under the covers if he consumes too much alcohol.
The hunk said: "Sex can be raw, immature and fun or it can be more about love.
Asked about what he prefers, he added: "Oh, the crazy kind, but it depends how drunk I am - or whether I'm drunk or not. If I'm too drunk, though, then there's no sex whatsoever as I can't get it up."
Although Enrique has a reputation of being a lothario he insists he doesn't sleep around, but wouldn't judge those who do.
He exclaimed in an interview with Now magazine: "I'm fun but I've never been the kind of guy to sleep with everyone. I've never judged anyone by how much sex they have.
"If a guy has sex with lots of women then he's 'the man', but a girl is a sl*t and that's not fair. Unfortunately, it's in a guy's genes to judge a girl by how many men she's got with, but you really can't judge someone just on that."

John Legend thinks Beyonce and Jay Z make marriage "cool".
The 'All Of Me' singer, who is friends with the couple, thought their performance of 'Drunk In Love' at the Grammy Awards last month was "sexy" and proved committed couples aren't boring.
He told BANG Showbiz: "I loved it. I like seeing them display their love for the whole world to see.
"It makes me feel like I'm cool being married. We can be married and cool at the same time.
"Because they're so guarded, it was exciting to feel like we got a peek behind closed doors. It was really sexy."
The 35-year-old singer, who married Sports Illustrated model Chrissy Teigen, 28, last year, is not afraid of public displays of affection and his wife starred in his music video for romantic ballad 'All Of Me'.
He said: "We're not too shy when the moment's right, displaying our love for people.
"Particularly with that song it only made sense for her to be the woman in the video, because of how honest and real the song is. We felt we should shoot a video that reflected who we are as a couple."
Meanwhile, both John and Beyonce recently performed at Michelle Obama's 50th birthday party and the 'Ordinary People' hitmaker was moved by President Barack Obama's speech to his wife.
He said: "It was really heartfelt. It was really inspirational for someone like me who had just got married, to see a couple who have been married for quite a while now, they just seem so truly in love. Not like infatuation in love, but mature, seasoned, weathered love that's built to last."

Kirk Norcross says suffering from attention attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) made him hate himself.
The former 'The Only Way Is Essex' star was diagnosed with ADHD, which causes hyperactivity and impulsiveness, when he was in school and he found it difficult to control his behaviour.
He said: "I knew what I was doing but something would definitely come over me and I'd just see red. It was so weird. For instance, I'd go to kick the door a little bit, but actually it would end up being totally smashed up."
The reality star is still approached by former school mates who remember him beating them up and he still feels "so embarrassed" about his actions.
Kirk added to Now magazine: "I'd fight my mates for no reason. I remember at my 16th birthday my mate ate some of my cake, so I really beat him up. Afterwards I was so sorry and had no idea why I'd done it.
"I hated myself and I still do. Sometime I'll bump into someone from my school days and they'll say to me 'Do you remember when you beat me up?' I feel so embarrassed."

Jennifer Lopez thinks her 'Dance Again' world tour was a "turning point" in her life.
The 'I Luh Ya Papi' singer found it easy getting back into the studio after her 2012 tour because the experience helped give her a new perspective on her divorce from Marc Anthony and her career.
Discussing the recording process of her upcoming album, the 'American Idol' judge told PopCrush: "My goal was to just be as honest as I could. You know, I'd gone through a lot in my life right at that point when I went on tour. I'd been through a divorce.
"A lot of things had happened. I really felt like it was a turning point in my life. I'd learned a lot about myself. I grew out my perspective on a lot of things - changes, including love - and there was just a lot that I had to say. Plus I had grown as a performer and as a vocalist on the road. All of that stuff is in this album."
The 44-year-old star - who has six-year-old twins Max and Emme with her ex-husband - has since found love with choreographer Casper Smart and admits her views on romance have been turned on their head since her "devastating" split from the father of her children.
Jennifer added: "My topic is love. It always has been. It's my motivation. It's what I think about. That's who I am at the essence. But what I thought about love for my first nine albums is very different from what I think about it now after everything I've been through."

Stars have shown their support for World Water Day.
Celebrities including Gwyneth Paltrow, Jessie J and Beyonce have taken to social media sites to help promote charity Drop4Drop's efforts to provide clean water for everyone.
'Iron Man' actress Gwyneth posted a make-up free selfie on Instagram of her drinking from a bottle of water, captioning the image, "full of healing power. #iLoveWater #WorldWaterday@drop4drop".
Jessie J rallied her fans to the cause, reminding them to appreciate their easy access to water and asking them to donate.
She wrote alongside an image of her sipping from a glass of water: "Don't take water for granted! I love water! This #WorldWaterDay let's make a difference! #iLoveWater @drop4drop".
Lily Allen and Example have also shared their love for H2O with Instagram selfies, while the charity reposted a message from Beyonce's official Facebook page, thanking the superstar for drawing people's attention to their campaign.
World Water Day, which has been observed on 22 March since 1993, aims to promote awareness of the critical water issues facing our generation and raise money for the 800 million people in third world countries who risk their lives by drinking and using dirty water.

Brad Pitt partied with Kings of Leon on Friday night (21.03.14).
The actor hit the town with the 'Sex On Fire' rockers after their Los Angeles gig and made a beeline straight for the band at their official afterparty, held at Warwick bar and restaurant.
The 'World War Z' star arrived with 'The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button' writer, Eric Roth, in tow and only headed home at around 3am, according to the MailOnline.
Brad also rubbed shoulders with actor Garett Hedlund, who stars in the Kings of Leon's arty music video, 'Beautiful War'.
The Nashville-based band, formed of brothers Caleb, Jared and Nathan Followill and their cousin Matthew Followill, are currently on a world tour supporting their sixth album, 'Mechanical Bull'.
Brad - who raises Maddox, 12, Pax, 10, Zahara, nine, Shiloh, seven, and twins Knox and Vivienne, five, with his fiancée Angelina Jolie - is rarely seen without his brood these days.
He recently confessed he bases his career choices nowadays on whether he will be proud to show his films to his children.
He said: "The key for me [when choosing a film] is to leave something behind that will make my kids proud.
"I want to be able to show my films to my children and say, 'Your daddy made this.'

Kristin Cavallari's husband is "weirded out" by pregnancy sex.
'The Hills' star admits her partner Jay Cutler feels uncomfortable being intimate during pregnancy and doesn't like talking about their future child when they're beneath the sheets.
Kristin - who is expecting her second son in May - explained in the new issue of Fit Pregnancy magazine: "Sex is funny when you're pregnant. Guys get weird about it. I'm like, 'Oh Jay, the baby's kicking!' And he's like, not wanting to know about it.
"It's important for women to realize - if your guy is a little weirded out but isn't good at expressing that, it can be isolating."
However, the reality star has come up with a fail-safe plan to restore the romance.
She joked: "Lingerie always helps too."
The 27-year-old shoe designer - who tied the knot with Jay in June 2013 - is already a mother to Camden, 19 months, and is glad the couple decided to have children so early on in their marriage.
She said: "It's cute to see Jay as such a great dad! We're excited to do this while we're young. Then when the kids go to college, we can travel and do whatever we want."
Fans won't be seeing Kristin and the Chicago Bears quarterback's children on TV screens any time soon since they intend to keep their family life private.
She revealed: "We get reality show offers all the time and we're like, 'No'. Family is so sacred, why mess with that?"

Kevin Bacon recreated his iconic 'Footloose' dance scenes on 'The Tonight Show'.
The 55-year-old actor marked the 30th anniversary of the film's release by launching into a step-by-step routine of his most famous toe-tapping moments as teenager Ren McCormack during his appearance on the chat show Friday night (21.03.14).
The age-defying star proved he still had the moves in the special segment set up by host Jimmy Fallon.
Drawing boos from the studio audience, the presenter introduced Kevin by saying: "This year marks the 30th anniversary of one of his most beloved films, 'Footloose'. Which reminds me, I should quickly mention that dancing has been outlawed on the tonight show."
Holding up a scroll emblazoned with the strict decree, Jimmy added: "It's official guys, it's a bummer, but rules are rules!"
The programme then cut to Kevin, who was watching behind-the-scenes from his dressing room.
The incredulous star announced, "Jump back. This is 'The Tonight Show' - there has to be dancing!", and proceeded to recreate his famous dance number to the classic soundtrack of 'Never'.
The father-of-two's performance was pitch perfect, even puffing on a cigarette and taking a swig from a bottle of booze before smashing it against the wall - just as his character did in the iconic warehouse scene.
Joined by backing dancers, he shimmied through the hallways of the 'Tonight Show' studio and emerged in front of the audience, clad in a vintage maroon tuxedo.
Shouting his infamous line, "Let's dance!, Kevin launched into a show-stopped finale of Footloose's titular track to rapturous applause.

Amanda Bynes celebrated her fashion debut with her parents on Friday night (21.03.14).
The actress, who went through a public breakdown last year, looked happy and healthy as she attended a special event for new students held by the prestigious Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising in Los Angeles.
The 'She's The Man' star has just completed her first quarter at the university and seemed back to her bubbly self as she shared a series of photos from the 2014 FIDM Debut on Twitter, including a family snap with her proud parents Rick and Lynn, who have supported her throughout her ordeal.
She later posted a picture from the fashion school's runway presentation, writing: "Some of the many beautiful designs from last night!"
This marks one of the first times Amanda has used the social networking site since leaving rehab and enrolling at FIDM in December 2013 in a bid to carve out a career as a fashion designer.
The 27-year-old star - whose hair is back to a natural-looking blonde - first updated her fans about her whereabouts on March 1.
She announced: "Hi everyone! I'm busy studying at @FIDM but I want to say I love you to my fans! Xoxo".
Amanda completed three months of psychiatric treatment for both schizophrenia and bipolar disorder last winter following several concerning outbursts.
She is said to be "horrified" by the erratic comments she made on Twitter last year, and has deleted her past activity so she can start afresh.
In February, she escaped jail and a fine in her driving under the influence (DUI) case, but was placed on three years' probation and ordered to attend three months of alcohol education classes.

The 'Divergent' cast partied non-stop during filming.
The stars of the year's most-anticipated teen thriller - who include Shailene Woodley, Theo James, Zoë Kravitz and Miles Teller - got on so well that sleep-deprived neighbours had to call the cops on several occasions to break up their raucous post-filming gatherings in downtown Chicago.
Shailene said at a Cinema Society screening: "There was a lot of partying, and I think the cops did get called a few times. When you work long hours you want to hang out on Friday night and be loud, it's not really fair to the people next door when they're like, 'It's 4 a.m., shut the f**k up.' "
Director Neil Burger also admitted he found dealing with a group of young actors under the age of 25 a far trickier task than he signed up for.
According to the New York Post's Page Six, the filmmaker said: "[It was] like wrangling cats. They were constantly on the verge of getting kicked out of their hotel."
Theo James, who plays Dauntless member Tobias 'Four' Eaton in the upcoming movie, recently confessed the gang had bonded over boozy nights out.
He said: "You really had to dive in and become friends with everyone - getting f***ed up and having nights on the town always eases that."