Pete Waterman has paid tribute to Sarah Harding following her death from breast cancer, aged 39.
The former Girls Aloud star passed away on Sunday, 13-months after sharing her cancer diagnosis, with her family confirming the news in a statement.
Remembering Sarah during an appearance on Good Morning Britain on Monday, record producer Pete, 74, who was a judge on Popstars: The Rivals - the show that catapulted Sarah to fame, praised the singer for her 'realness'.
'She was the girl next door': Pete Waterman was seen remembering Sarah Harding during an appearance on Good Morning Britain on Monday and praised the late star for her 'realness'
The series, that formed Girls Aloud, aired in 2002, with Sarah auditioning in front of the judging panel - made up of Pete, Louis Walsh and Geri Horner - with her rendition of Steps song Last Thing On My Mind.
She won a place in the girlband alongside Cheryl, Kimberley Walsh, Nadine Coyle and Nicola Roberts.
Recalling her appearance on the show, Pete fondly remembered Sarah as the 'girl next door' when asked what his first impressions of the star had been.
He said: 'She was just a lovely, lovely young kid. She couldn’t believe she was in this competition, she’d bubble with enthusiasm. She was just real and that’s what the programme picked up - her ordinariness.
'She'd bubble with enthusiasm': Pete recalled seeing an instant star quality in Sarah when she auditioned for the talent show, as he insisted the public 'loved' the late singer
Paying tribute: The record producer was on the judging panel on Popstars: The Rivals the show that catapulted Sarah to fame back in 2002
'She had enthusiasm, she was the girl next door, that’s why she was in the band. The public loved her.'
Insisting that he spotted Sarah's star quality instantly, Pete added: 'Certain people when they walk in the room have an aura about them and you pick it up, that’s what you’re looking for.
'She did that, there’s no question about that. There was no question she would be in the final band. There were probably 10 people that could have made it.'
Pete explained that Sarah had often doubted herself while competing on the show and he had told her on multiple occasions that she was always going to have a place in the final band.
'I remember talking to her at times during the show, saying, "Don’t worry, don’t worry, you’re going to be there." Because she always doubted herself. She had the enthusiasm, but she didn’t over self believe,' he revealed.
Success: Sarah won a place in Girls Aloud alongside Cheryl, Nadine Coyle, Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh (pictured above L-R in 2004)
Host Ben Shephard recalled Sarah penning in her memoir, titled Hear Me Out, that she was 'winging it' from week to week during her time on Popstars: The Rivals, Pete agreed and insisted it was the 'beauty' of Sarah's appearance on the show.
'Of course she was winging it, that was the beauty of it. Isn’t that the kid next door that suddenly wins a tenner and gets in the sweet shop and doesn’t know what to buy next? Of course she was winging it, but she was absolutely excellent at it - that’s why she’s so good,' he insisted.
'I guess there comes a point where you think, "That’s real, I can do this." That’s when it becomes a little bit looser.'
He recalled meeting with Sarah and her mother Marie, after she had won a place in the band, and said: 'You read about the wild child, but she was very, very polite. Her and her mum were smashing.
'When I went to their house, we went upstairs,
