Published Friday, 19 October 2012
Girls Aloud announce they will reunite for a tour next year. (© PA)
The girl band have reunited to prepare for the 12-date tour, which will stop at the Odyssey Arena on 13 March before travelling to The O2 in Dublin.
Cheryl Cole, Derry-born Nadine Coyle, Kimberley Walsh, Sarah Harding and Nicola Roberts - will also release a new single, Something New, next month before a greatest hits album, called Ten.
There will be four new songs on the album and it will come with a second disc of tracks chosen by fans in a vote.
The group, who announced their plans at a press conference on Friday, will open their tour in Cheryl's hometown of Newcastle upon Tyne with two gigs, followed by nights in seven other cities including Manchester, Glasgow and Birmingham.
Cheryl said it was "incredible" to be back together.
If you asked us 10 years ago we wouldn't have dreamt we'd be here today.
Cheryl Cole
Cheryl said: "Touring is the best thing about what we do full-stop so to be able to go out and just say thank you to the fans for 10 years of support that is a special feeling."
The singer added that although the five girls had not "been seen publicly for three years" they had been "socialising the whole time".
Nicola said the reunion was "meant to be" in their anniversary year, while Nadine said they would "wait and see how the fans react" before deciding what would happen next. Cheryl added: "We haven't actually made any plans further than the tour."
Radio 1 DJ Nick Grimshaw introduced them, saying the girls were "the defining UK girl group of the modern era".
This year marks a decade since they were put together by the talent show Popstars: The Rivals aired on UTV. They went on to claim their first number one with Sound Of The Underground.