Walsh was born in Bradford, West Yorkshire, and grew up with two sisters and one brother in its Allerton suburb. She attended Sandy Lane First School, Stoney Lee Middle School and Beckfoot Grammar School and had her first taste of fame starring in an advert as a child.
In 2000 she tried out for the role of Maria Sutherland in the soap opera Coronation Street, losing out to Samia Smith. Later she appeared in the television series This Is Personal: The Hunt for the Yorkshire Ripper as Gillian Oldfield, and in the same year she starred in a BBC Educational Schools programme called Focus. In 2001 Kimberley played Tracy in Dream Back.
While studying for a BA degree in English and Media at Trinity and All Saints College, University of Leeds, in 2002 during her second year Walsh auditioned for a reality television show dedicated to assembling a new girl group: Popstars: The Rivals. She and future bandmate Nicola Roberts did not originally make the final ten, but Walsh was brought back to the competition when original finalist Hazel was found to be over the age limit - she resultantly dropped out of university. On the show she performed:
"Baby Can I Hold You"
"Emotion"
"Unbreak My Heart"
"Chain Reaction"
Walsh was the fourth girl to be voted into Girls Aloud, much to the delight of her friend and new bandmate, Nadine Coyle, with whom she had become good friends during the course of the show.
While in Girls Aloud, Walsh has been popular among the band's male fan base. In April 2004, Heat magazine named her toned stomach as the fifth best in the world, ahead of superstar Beyoncé and singer Rachel Stevens. In 2005, Walsh was ranked forty-fourth in the "100 Sexiest Females In The World" list published by FHM magazine; in 2006, she was ranked at sixty-six.
Walsh co-hosted the 25 August 2006 episode of The Friday Night Project with Cheryl Cole and Sarah Harding, on which she did an impression of Pop Idol and X Factor judge Simon Cowell.
I Still Believe
Kimberley Walsh Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Last night I watched him sleeping
My body pressed to him
And then he started speaking
The name I heard him speak, was Kim
Yes I know that this was years ago
But when moonlight fills my room I know
I still, I still believe
He will return
I know he will
My heart's against all odds
Hold still, yes still
I still believe
I know as long as I can keep believing
I'll live
I'll live love cannot die
You will return
You will return
And I alone know why
(Louise Dearman)
Last night I watched you sleeping
Once more the nightmare came
I heard you cry out something
A word that sounded like a name
And it hurts me more than I can bare
Knowing part of you I'll never share
Never know
But still, I still believe
The time will come when nothing keeps us apart
My heart forever more holds still
It's all over I hear
There is nothing to fear
Christmas taunting you
Won't you let me inside what you so want to hide
I need you too
(Both)
Hold still
I still believe
I know as long as I can keep believe
I'll live
I'll live
You will return and I know why
I'm yours until we die
The song "I Still Believe" by Kimberley Walsh is a powerful ballad about holding onto hope and the possibility of a lost love returning. The first verse sung by Kimberley Walsh is about watching her partner sleep and hearing him say another woman's name in his sleep, causing her pain and longing for him to return to her. She confesses that even though they have been separated for years, she still believes that he will come back to her, and that her love for him cannot die.
The second verse sung by Louise Dearman is from the perspective of the person who is being dreamed about, but is unable to reciprocate those feelings. She hears the other person calling out her name, but she knows that they can never share the same love. Despite this, she still believes that there is hope for them to be together in the future.
The chorus sung by both Walsh and Dearman emphasizes the central message of the song- that even when circumstances seem impossible, and when others may doubt it, love can still persevere. The two women sing about holding still and having faith that their lost loves will return to them someday.
Overall, "I Still Believe" is a touching and emotional song about the enduring power of love and the hope that it gives us, even in the face of uncertainty and doubt.
Line by Line Meaning
Last night I watched him sleeping
I observed him sleeping peacefully in my presence
My body pressed to him
My physical self was intimately close to him
And then he started speaking
He initiated a verbal communication
The name I heard him speak, was Kim
The word he uttered was my name, Kim
Yes I know that this was years ago
Though this occurred a long time back, I am aware
But when moonlight fills my room I know
Whenever the light of the moon brightens up my bedroom, I realize
You are here still
You still exist in my thoughts till this day
I still, I still believe
I keep the faith in a positive outcome
He will return
He shall come back to me eventually
I know he will
I am certain he shall return
My heart's against all odds
Despite the unlikeliness, my heart is firmly rooted in my beliefs
Hold still, yes still
Stay firm and unwavering
I know as long as I can keep believing
For as long as I hold onto my hope and faith
I'll live love cannot die
My desire and love cannot be destroyed
You will return
You will come back to me
And I alone know why
Only I am privy to the reason for my feelings
Once more the nightmare came
Once again, I had a bad dream
I heard you cry out something
I perceived you uttering something loudly
A word that sounded like a name
It was a word resembling a name
And it hurts me more than I can bare knowing
It pains me deeply to acknowledge
Part of you I'll never share never know
I will never get to experience or comprehend a fraction of your being
But still, I still believe
Nevertheless, my faith and optimism persist
The time will come when nothing keeps us apart
A moment shall arrive where there will be no obstacle to our connection
My heart forever more holds still
My heart stays constant and unwavering
It's all over I hear there is nothing to fear
I am told that everything is done and there is no need to worry
Christmas taunting you
The joyous holiday of Christmas is being a source of frustration for you
Won't you let me inside what you so want to hide
Can you permit me to explore the aspects you have kept concealed?
I need you too
I have a requirement for you as well
I'm yours until we die
I shall belong to you till our last breath
Contributed by Grayson R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
cdj
Beautiful interview. Poor Nadine looks so crushed 😔 It's just so sad but great to see them doing this great event. RIP Sarah ❤
Joyce Gibbs
didn’t she say the band were never that close ?
Dmattmc
@Joyce GibbsI think she said that a bit flippantly. They couldn’t not be close really because they were with each other constantly for years. Nicola, Cheryl and Kimberley were/are best friends and Nadine and Sarah were also close friends, but there was definitely a divide between those two groups in the band.
laminage
@Dmattmc Yes it also happened in The Temptations but these things happen. They should also be proud because they all put their differences aside for Sarah. Alot of Girlgroup Icons to this day don't do this sort of thing. They just released a book in america called but will you still love me tomorrow where past girl group icons come together to talk about what they went through beginning in the 1950's. Many of them came out of their career with nothing.
Jimbo Swamps
Love seeing Nadine with them. Rest In Peace Sarah
Roshi Seneviratne
Sarah's illness brought them back together. Kimber, Nicola, and Cheryl were always close and quite separate from Nadine and Sarah once the band split.
User A
@Roshi Seneviratne it’s a shame that it took Sarah’s illness for that to happen
Julie Reed
Rip Sarah
Terry Arrow
Feel so sorry for the girls. Sarah dying has floored them. It’s not what we expected. God bless you Sarah. You touched the lives of so many. X
MeganSin
I think the bright spot in her death is that the girls seem closer. I know prior to all this it was more Nadine and Sarah were close and nic, Cheryl and Kim were close but since her passing the fragility of life has shown that no matter what, they are all connected in a way and we need to cherish our relationships.
Also appreciate Nadine’s openness on her denial. I have yet experienced this type of loss but I would probably feel the same as well and it’s a very valid emotion in times like that.