Girls Aloud Nadine Coyle ‘can’t wait to get back to Belfast’

The Londonderry singer, who currently lives in California, has been dating American footballer Jason Bell since last autumn.

She said the strapping New York Giants star was keen to see the band on tour — and that she thought Belfast would be the ideal place to bring him.

Nadine — who is ambassador for the Northern Ireland’s Children’s Hospice — was speaking exclusively to the Belfast Telegraph ahead of a charity race on the Westlink this weekend.

The Between The Bridges fun run will mark the opening of the M1/Westlink Improvements Scheme and raise much-needed funds for the Northern Ireland Hospice.

Nadine said: “Jason and I are still going strong, he’s a really nice lad.

“I haven’t been back home since we started going out together, but I will be back again when Girls Aloud play Belfast.

“Jason has already said that he wants to come and see me on tour and I told him that he had to come to Belfast then. Where better for him to see Girls Aloud than at home?”

Nadine, who brought her ex-boyfriend, Desperate Housewives star Jesse Metcalfe to Northern Ireland when they were dating, said she was still on a high after Girls Aloud picked up their first ever Brit Award for Best British Single last month.

“It was brilliant,” she said. “We’ve been together for seven years now, and of course we don’t do it for the awards, but we always thought it would be nice to win one.

“We’re very proud of ourselves as a group and always thought we deserved to win, but even so, we were still really shocked when they announced it.

“The fact that it was the fans who voted our single The Promise as the best meant even more to us.

“We celebrated the whole night.”

The 23-year-old said she was sorry she could not be back in Belfast for the Between The Bridges race on Sunday, but that she was proud of everyone who is taking part.

Up to 4,000 people have signed up to compete in the Westlink race — almost as many who run in the Belfast marathon.

Nadine said: “It’s amazing to think that so many people are giving up their time and their weekend to do this, but it is such a worthwhile cause.

“I really admire everyone who’s doing it and want to wish them all the best. Had I been there, I would have had to walk half the race, as I’m just not as fit as I should be.

“But I will be there in spirit.”

Nadine said the Northern Ireland Hospice was a charity close to her heart as the Coyle’s are friends of a little girl called Caitlin Dean, who attends the Children’s Hospice for respite care. Caitlin, who is nine, also receives care and family support at home.

“What they do there is fantastic,” she said.

“The last time I was over in Belfast I went to visit the Children’s Hospice and was really blown away by the standard of care and what a wonderful place it was.

“I’m passionate about children and being asked to be ambassador for the charity was such a privilege.”

Nadine said she hoped to get time out of her touring schedule in April to visit the hospice again.

“I’d really love to go and see everyone there again and hopefully I’ll get to do it during the day when we’re in Belfast,” she said.

“The last time I was there, they were having a birthday party and it was such a lovely day.”

Nadine and her band mates — Cheryl Cole, Sarah Harding, Kimberley Walsh and Nicola Roberts — will be back in Belfast for three nights in April, playing the Odyssey Arena as part of their Out of Control tour.

“I can’t wait to get back to Belfast, although I’m always a nervous wreck playing at home,” she said.

“But if I know Jason is there, it’ll be brilliant. I really hope he does come over, because I know he’ll love the place.”

Professor Judith Hill, chief executive of Northern Ireland Hospice, said she was delighted that Nadine was throwing her support behind the charity.

“Nadine has proved to be a loyal and supportive ambassador for the Children’s Hospice,” she said.

“Her visit a few years ago when she was in Belfast really made a difference to the children and the staff and we we look forward to giving her a warm welcome when she returns in April.

“As a charity we are indebted to everybody who is participating in our Between The Bridges race on Sunday as we have to raise just over £4m every year to keep services running.”