Sarah Harding has thanked her fans for their support following her cancer diagnosis and offered an update on her forthcoming book.

The former Girls Aloud and Celebrity Big Brother star revealed last August that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer, which had spread to other parts of her body.

In a post on Twitter on Monday, the 39-year-old said she had finished her book “in between treatments and hospital visits”.

She added that Hear Me Out: My Story, My Words, My Life will be published on March 18.

Harding said: “I called the book ‘Hear Me Out’ because it’s the title of the song I wrote on the second Girls Aloud album and I’ve always really loved it.

“The lyrics have always meant a lot to me.

“It’s been lovely revisiting our songs, looking back over photos and writing down memories from my last 39 years.”

She said she is “so excited” for the book to come out, adding: “I can’t rewrite history; all I can do is be honest and wear my heart on my sleeve.

“It’s really the only way I know. I want to show people the real me.

“Or perhaps remind them. Because, somewhere – amongst the nightclubs, the frocks and hairdos, the big chart hits and the glamour of being a popstar – the other Sarah Harding got utterly lost.

“She’s the one who’s been forgotten. And all I want is for you to hear her out.”

She added: “Thank you for the love and support, on bad days it helps me so much.

“So here’s a little update from me… Mum, the dogs and I had a really lovely but quiet Christmas together, which was different to my usual, but seemed a fitting way to end such a strange year.”

Sarah Harding illness
Sarah Harding rose to fame with Girls Aloud (Matt Crossick/PA)

She said she is “not really that present” on social media but added that it “means the world” to see messages of support when she logs on.

Her former Girls Aloud co-star Kimberley Walsh replied to her post, saying: “Proud of you and can’t wait to read it.”

In August she said she was “fighting as hard as I possibly can” after revealing her cancer diagnosis.

Harding rose to fame alongside Cheryl, Nadine Coyle, Nicola Roberts and Walsh on ITV’s Popstars: The Rivals in 2002.

Girls Aloud announced they were taking a break in 2009 before splitting in 2013.

Harding won the 2017 edition of Celebrity Big Brother.