Cheryl Ann Tweedy
Cheryl Ann Cole (née Tweedy; born 30 June 1983) is an English singer, songwriter, dancer, and model.Cole rose to fame in late 2002 after being selected to become a member of girl group Girls Aloud on ITV's reality television programme Popstars The Rivals. With the group, Cole released twenty consecutive top ten singles (including four number ones) in the UK and five platinum albums, two of which went to number one; and earned five Brit Award nominations from 2005 to 2010. Since Girls Aloud announced their hiatus she has released two consecutive number one albums in the UK: 3 Words and Messy Little Raindrops; scoring two British number one singles ("Fight for This Love" and "Promise This"). Cole became a judge on the British televised singing competition The X Factor in 2008.
Cole has become a recognised and photographed style icon; referred to as a fashionista by the press. She has been photographed for the covers of British Vogue, Elle and Harper's Bazaar, while also becoming the new face of cosmetic company L'Oréal.Cole was married to England footballer Ashley Cole from July 2006 until September 2010, when she divorced him.On 5 May 2011, it was announced that Cole would be a judge on the upcoming American version of The X Factor. On 26 May 2011, it was reported that Cole had been axed from the show, with it finally being confirmed by Fox, Freemantle North America and Syco TV on 6 June
Cole was born in Newcastle upon Tyne, England and grew up on council estates in the districts of Walker and Heaton. She is the fourth of five children of Joan Callaghan,and the eldest child of Gary Tweedy. Cole's parents never married each other; they separated when she was 11. She has a brother, Garry (born 1987, Newcastle)and three elder maternal half-siblings: Joseph, Gillian and Andrew.
As a small child in the late 1980s, she appeared in a television advert for British Gas As she was interested in dancing from an early age, Cole started sequence dancing at the age of four,before joining The Royal Ballet's summer school at the age of nine. She won many modelling competitions, including the titles of Boots Group's "bonniest baby", Mothercare's Happy Faces Portrait competition, "Best Looking Girl of Newcastle", The Evening Chronicle's "Little Miss and Mister", and "Most Attractive Girl" at the MetroCentre.She also appeared in two British Gas adverts, an SCS advert, and an Eldon Square Christmas advert with younger brother Garry as well as appearing in dance recitals on some television shows. She attended Walker Comprehensive School in Newcastle, and left at 16 with few qualifications. During her time there, she was suspended twice: once for fighting with another pupil and again for swearing on a bus. After school, she took a job as a waitress in a restaurant
Cole auditioned for the reality television show Popstars The Rivals in 2002 with the song "Have You Ever". Several thousand applicants attended auditions across the UK in hope of being selected. Ten girls and ten boys were chosen as finalists by judges Pete Waterman, Louis Walsh and Geri Halliwell. These finalists then took to the stage, participating in weekly Saturday night live performances which alternated weekly between the girls and boys. Each week, the contestant polling the fewest phone votes was eliminated, until the final line-ups of the groups emerged. Cole joined Nadine Coyle, Sarah Harding, Nicola Roberts, and Kimberley Walsh to form the new girl group Girls Aloud, as determined by a public vote administered through the show on 30 November 2002
The group's debut single "Sound of the Underground" peaked at number one on the UK Singles Chart, becoming the 2002 Christmas number one. Girls Aloud hold the record for the shortest time between formation and reaching number one.The group released their debut album Sound of the Underground in May 2003, which entered the charts at number two and was certified platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) later the same year
Since 2003, Girls Aloud have released twenty additional singles, with all but one charting within the top ten, and 15 reaching top five positions. Their singles "I'll Stand by You", "Walk This Way", and "The Promise" have charted at number one. Two of their albums have reached the top of the UK Albums Chart: their greatest hits album The Sound of Girls Aloud and 2008's Out of Control, both of which entered the chart at number one, with over one million copies of the former being sold. All five of their studio albums have been certified platinum by the BPI They have been nominated for five Brit Awards, and in 2009 won "Best British Single" at that year's Brit Awards for "The Promise"
Cole has become a recognised and photographed style icon; referred to as a fashionista by the press. She has been photographed for the covers of British Vogue, Elle and Harper's Bazaar, while also becoming the new face of cosmetic company L'Oréal.Cole was married to England footballer Ashley Cole from July 2006 until September 2010, when she divorced him.On 5 May 2011, it was announced that Cole would be a judge on the upcoming American version of The X Factor. On 26 May 2011, it was reported that Cole had been axed from the show, with it finally being confirmed by Fox, Freemantle North America and Syco TV on 6 June
Cole was born in Newcastle upon Tyne, England and grew up on council estates in the districts of Walker and Heaton. She is the fourth of five children of Joan Callaghan,and the eldest child of Gary Tweedy. Cole's parents never married each other; they separated when she was 11. She has a brother, Garry (born 1987, Newcastle)and three elder maternal half-siblings: Joseph, Gillian and Andrew.
As a small child in the late 1980s, she appeared in a television advert for British Gas As she was interested in dancing from an early age, Cole started sequence dancing at the age of four,before joining The Royal Ballet's summer school at the age of nine. She won many modelling competitions, including the titles of Boots Group's "bonniest baby", Mothercare's Happy Faces Portrait competition, "Best Looking Girl of Newcastle", The Evening Chronicle's "Little Miss and Mister", and "Most Attractive Girl" at the MetroCentre.She also appeared in two British Gas adverts, an SCS advert, and an Eldon Square Christmas advert with younger brother Garry as well as appearing in dance recitals on some television shows. She attended Walker Comprehensive School in Newcastle, and left at 16 with few qualifications. During her time there, she was suspended twice: once for fighting with another pupil and again for swearing on a bus. After school, she took a job as a waitress in a restaurant
Since 2003, Girls Aloud have released twenty additional singles, with all but one charting within the top ten, and 15 reaching top five positions. Their singles "I'll Stand by You", "Walk This Way", and "The Promise" have charted at number one. Two of their albums have reached the top of the UK Albums Chart: their greatest hits album The Sound of Girls Aloud and 2008's Out of Control, both of which entered the chart at number one, with over one million copies of the former being sold. All five of their studio albums have been certified platinum by the BPI They have been nominated for five Brit Awards, and in 2009 won "Best British Single" at that year's Brit Awards for "The Promise"