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Cheryl Ann Tweedy (born 30 June 1983) is an English singer and television personality. She rose to fame as a member of Girls Aloud, a Pop music girl group created through ITV's reality competition show in 2002. Named the United Kingdom's best-selling girl group of the 21st century in 2012, Girls Aloud amassed a string of 20 consecutive UK top ten singles (including four number ones), two UK number one albums, five consecutive platinum-selling studio albums, and five Brit Award nominations, winning Best Single for "The Promise" in 2009. The group went on hiatus in 2013, before reuniting for a tour in 2024.
While still in Girls Aloud, Cheryl began a solo career in April 2009, and between then and 2014, she released four studio albums – 3 Words (2009), Messy Little Raindrops (2010), A Million Lights (2012) and Only Human (2014). Collectively, the albums spawned ten singles, five of which – "Fight for This Love", "Promise This", "Call My Name", "Crazy Stupid Love" and "I Don't Care" – reached the top position on the UK Singles Chart, making Cheryl the first British female solo artist to have five number-one singles in the UK.
Cheryl became a judge on the UK version of the television talent show The X Factor in 2008. She mentored two of the eventual winners of the competition (Alexandra Burke in series five and Joe McElderry in series six), before resigning in 2011 after series seven and joining the panel of the US version of the series, which she left during the auditions stage. She returned to judge series eleven and twelve of the UK series in 2014 and 2015. Cheryl next served as a judge on the television dance competition The Greatest Dancer from 2019 to 2020, and made her stage debut in the West End play in 2023.
Cheryl has become a recognised and photographed style icon, being referred to as a "fashionista" by the press. She has been photographed for the covers of British Vogue, Elle and Harper's Bazaar, and fronted cosmetic company L'Oréal from 2009 to 2018.
At the age of seven, Cheryl appeared in a television advertisement for British Gas. Interested in dancing from an early age, she began sequence dancing at the age of four,Smith, S (2009) Cheryl, Simon & Schuster UK and participated in a short summer holiday course at the Royal Ballet School's Summer School at the age of nine. She occasionally appeared doing dance recitals on different television shows in the UK, such as Gimme 5, in 1993.
Girls Aloud 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. Their singles "I'll Stand by You", "Walk This Way", and "The Promise" charted at number one. Two of their albums 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. They also achieved seven certified albums and were nominated for five Brit Awards, winning the 2009 Best Single for "The Promise". The group's musical style was pop, but throughout their career they experimented with electropop and dance-pop. Girls Aloud's collaborations with Brian Higgins and his songwriting and production team Xenomania earned the group critical acclaim, due to an innovative approach to mainstream pop music.
The group amassed a fortune of £30 million by May 2010. Guinness World Records listed them as "Most Successful Reality TV Group" in the 2007 edition. They also held the record for "Most Consecutive Top Ten Entries in the UK by a Female Group" in the 2008 edition, and were credited again for "Most Successful Reality TV Group" in the 2011 edition. The group was also named the United Kingdom's biggest selling girl group of the 21st century, with over 4.3 million singles sales and 4 million albums sold in the UK alone. Girls Aloud took a hiatus in 2009 in the pursuit of solo projects, saying they would reunite for a new studio album in 2010, but this did not materialise.
In 2011, Cheryl joined Cowell, L.A. Reid, and Paula Abdul on the judging panel of the US version of The X Factor. After a three-week stint she departed the series. Cowell said the reason she left was that he offered her a judging seat on the eighth series of the UK show and he felt that she would have been more comfortable there. Cheryl did not return to the UK show, as Tulisa had taken her place on the UK judging panel and Cheryl was unwilling to be a judge on the UK show without Cowell. Nicole Scherzinger replaced her on the judging panel of the American version for the rest of season one. In December 2012, Cheryl sued the American producers of The X Factor for $2.3 million (£1.4m). She received $1.8 million (£1.1m) for the 2011 US series, and then sued for $2 million (£1.25m) for the second season, plus additional damages. In November 2013, Cheryl won for her settlement, for an undisclosed amount between her and producers Blue Orbit.
Cheryl's first solo performance was on American rapper will.i.am's "Heartbreaker" in 2008. She was picked to appear as a dancer in the video after taking Streetdance classes during the filming of ITV2 series The Passions of Girls Aloud. She was later asked by will.i.am to sing additional vocals on the track. In April 2009, she started working on solo material, and her debut album, 3 Words, was released in the UK on 26 October. The album spent two weeks at number one, and on 6 November, BPI certified the album platinum, denoting shipments of over 300,000 units; it later tripled this feat. The first single from the album, "Fight for This Love", was written by Andre Merritt, Steve Kipner and Wayne Wilkins, and produced by Kipner and Wilkins. Following a performance on The X Factor live results show, "Fight for This Love" entered the UK and Irish charts at number one, and in 2010, it went to number one in Denmark, Norway and Hungary, and was later certified platinum in the UK. It also became the fourth best-selling single of 2009 in the UK. Cheryl's second single, "3 Words", which features will.i.am, went to number four in the UK and seven in Ireland. In 2010, the single was released in Australia and charted at number five, and was certified platinum. The third single, "Parachute", charted in the top five in both the UK and Ireland, and was certified gold in the UK.
Cheryl started recording sessions for her second album in February 2010, though in an interview on , she said that some of the songs submitted for the record dated back to 3 Words. The album was largely produced by Wayne Wilkins and released on 29 October 2010 under the title Messy Little Raindrops. It features guest vocals from August Rigo, Dizzee Rascal, Travie McCoy, and will.i.am, and debuted at number one in the UK, and at number two in Ireland. It received generally mixed reviews from music critics, with a positive review of four out of five stars from Jon O'Brien of AllMusic. On 19 August 2011, the album was certified platinum by BPI, with shipments in the UK exceeding 300,000. The album's first single, "Promise This", is an up-tempo dance-pop song written by Wilkins, Priscilla Renea and Christopher Jackson, which was released on 24 October 2010 and became her second number-one in the UK where it was certified gold. "The Flood" was released as the album's second single and entered the charts after its official release at number 18.
Cheryl was given a one-off television programme for ITV1, Cheryl Cole's Night In, which aired on 19 December 2009. The programme, hosted by Holly Willoughby, featured music and interviews with Cheryl and some of her favourite performers. Alexandra Burke, Rihanna, Will Young, Snow Patrol and will.i.am made appearances. The programme attracted 5 million viewers on its first airing.
From May to July 2010, Cheryl was the opening act for the Black Eyed Peas at the British shows (as well as some European dates) of The E.N.D. World Tour. Cheryl was interviewed during an episode of the fourth series of Piers Morgan's Life Stories, in which she discussed her marriage and divorce with Ashley Cole and her life-threatening battle with malaria. The show, which aired on 23 October 2010, drew an audience of 7.2 million, the highest figure in the chat show's history.
Cheryl promoted A Million Lights by embarking on her first solo concert tour, A Million Lights Tour. The tour ran from 3 to 17 October 2012, and comprised 11 show dates: two in Ireland, one in Scotland and eight in England. She also did a set of meet and greets at each concert. The £350 offer included an autograph, a chance to meet her and a photograph with her backstage, with proceeds going towards her charity, The Cheryl Cole Foundation. The meet and greet ticket drew negative criticism from fans, who complained about the high price.
On 4 June 2012, Cheryl performed a duet with Gary Barlow at the Diamond Jubilee Concert, which was organised and created by Barlow as part of the Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II and watched by millions worldwide. In 2012, Cheryl returned to The X Factor UK as an assistant for Barlow at the judges' houses stage to help him select his contestants for the live shows of the competition. In November 2012, she was handed her own documentary entitled Cheryl: Access All Areas, which attracted 811,000 viewers on ITV2 and 177,000 on +1.
In November 2012, after months of speculation, Girls Aloud reunited for the group's 10th anniversary. On 18 November, they released their comeback single, "Something New", which was also the official charity single for Children in Need 2012. The single peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart. The group released their second greatest hits compilation, Ten, on 26 November 2012. The second single taken from Ten, "Beautiful 'Cause You Love Me", was released on 17 December. A documentary entitled aired on ITV1 on 15 December and attracted 2.3 million viewers, a 10.5% share of the audience. In 2013, the group embarked on . In March 2013, following the completion of the tour, Girls Aloud released a statement to confirm that they were splitting permanently.
Only Human was released on 10 November and became Cheryl's fourth solo album to debut within the top 10 in the United Kingdom and Ireland. It was later certified silver in the UK. The album's title track was released as its third and final single in March 2015. The song, which originally peaked at number 70 as an album cut in October 2014, failed to reach the top 100 on the UK Singles Chart upon the single's release, therefore becoming Cheryl's lowest-charting single to date.
In 2014, the singer also returned as a judge on the UK show of The X Factor for its eleventh series to replace Sharon Osbourne, signing a £1.5 million contract. She was joined by Simon Cowell, Louis Walsh and Mel B on the judging panel. She was again selected to mentor the girls category, with her final contestant Lauren Platt becoming the thirteenth contestant eliminated. In 2015, Cheryl returned to The X Factor for its twelfth series; she was joined by Cowell and new judges Ora and Nick Grimshaw. She was selected to mentor the groups category for the first time and her last remaining group Reggie 'n' Bollie reached the final becoming the runner-up. Cheryl announced her departure from The X Factor in April 2016, choosing to focus on her music career and was replaced by Osbourne. She appeared in the fourteenth series as Cowell's adviser during the judges' houses stage.
Cheryl began serving as a dance captain on the BBC One dance competition The Greatest Dancer, which premiered on 5 January 2019. In 2020, she returned for its second series, and later that year, BBC One said there were no plans to continue the show. She played music manager Coco Rayne in Sky Cinema's 2020 adaptation of the novel Four Children and It titled Four Kids and It. In August 2021, Cheryl launched a 12-part podcast about R&B music titled You, Me & R&B with Cheryl on BBC Sounds, which drew criticism from some who believed that a black artist should have been given the platform to present a show about black music.
On 7 December 2022, it was announced that Cheryl would be playing Jenny in the West End play at the Lyric Theatre from 28 January to 23 April 2023. In 2024, she reunited with the surviving members of Girls Aloud for a UK and Ireland tour The Girls Aloud Show to celebrate 21 years of the group and to remember their bandmate Sarah Harding who died in 2021.
Cheryl's first official book, entitled Through My Eyes, was published on 30 September 2010 by Bantam Press. Through My Eyes purports to show her in the recording studio, backstage on tour, behind-the-scenes at The X Factor, at photo shoots and at award ceremonies. She said the book is "filled with pictures that capture those moments, her memories and the people she's closest to". She is the subject of several unauthorised biographies, (2025). 9781847372789, Simon & Schuster. ISBN 9781847372789 (2010). 9781409113621, Orion Publishing Group, Limited. ISBN 9781409113621 as well as books detailing her relationship with and divorce from Ashley Cole. (2010). 9781843174998, Michael O'mara Books. ISBN 9781843174998 (2025). 9781843581956, John Blake. ISBN 9781843581956 Her autobiography, , was published on 11 October 2012. The book's content was about her childhood, rise to fame as a member of Girls Aloud and her relationships with Simon Cowell and her ex-husband Ashley Cole. It has sold 275,000 copies , generating £2.5 million in sales. In August 2014, Cheryl released her debut fragrance, StormFlower.
In March 2009, Cheryl climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in aid of Comic Relief. The climb, organised by Gary Barlow, was also undertaken by fellow Girls Aloud member Kimberley Walsh, as well as Alesha Dixon, Fearne Cotton, Denise Van Outen, Chris Moyles, Ben Shephard, Ronan Keating and Barlow himself. Between 3 February and 23 March 2009, Cheryl, Walsh, Barlow, Moyles and Cotton also raised money for Comic Relief by providing the voice for the BT Speaking Clock. All nine celebrities reached the summit of Kilimanjaro on Saturday, 7 March 2009. Cheryl, along with Cotton, Van Outen and Shephard, reached the summit first at sunrise. The trek raised £3.5 million for the charity. In February 2011, Cheryl launched her own charitable foundation with The Prince's Trust following a meeting with The Trust's president, Charles, Prince of Wales. The Cheryl Cole Foundation has provided funds for The Trust in the North East, which was set up to help disadvantaged young people from Cheryl's region. On 13 June 2011, she auctioned 20 dresses with ASOS to raise funds for the foundation.
In September 2011, Cheryl became a "Forces' sweetheart" when she visited British soldiers in Afghanistan. On 23 January 2015, Cheryl announced the launch of a second charity, once again alongside The Prince's Trust. The charity was named Cheryl's Trust, and was set up with the aim of raising £2 million to build a centre, which will support up to 4000 disadvantaged young people in her native city of Newcastle. To raise these funds, Cheryl has thus far teamed up with Prizeo in March 2015, setting up a styling session competition, and also launched a limited edition Belgian Chocolate Bar with Greggs in August 2015; 5p proceeds from each sale being donated towards the trust. In November 2016, she became the ambassador of the charity Childline.
Cheryl has named Britney Spears and Beyoncé as a few of her inspirations, performance and fashion-wise. She spoke on the reason Beyoncé was an influence on her, saying, "I love Beyoncé, I just think she is such a beautiful person inside and out, apart from what she does on the stage which is obviously incredible and aspirational. I just like her as a woman. She's empowering." She has cited Lisa Lopes, a former member of American band TLC, as another influence saying, "I wanted to be Lopes – I used to wear baggy jeans and Timberlands like a tomboy." Other influences she has cited are Rihanna, whom she described as "a perfect pop star", and Mary J. Blige, saying, "Mary's voice sounds so grown up and you can hear that she has experienced a lot in her life, her songs help me with every heartache." Cheryl has influenced other artists, including Selena Gomez and Jade Thirlwall. The 2006 Lily Allen song "Cheryl Tweedy" was written about her.
In June 2012, Cheryl performed "Call My Name" live on The Voice UK. In response to criticism about lip-syncing, she deemed it complimentary and said, "If you think my live vocal sounds so good it must be mimed, I'm happy."
Cheryl's popularity grew significantly during her 2008–2011 stint on The X Factor, and the British press called her a "nation's sweetheart". As a judge, she was noted for her style, "disarming compassion and sensitivity". The Telegraphs Bryony Gordon dubbed her a "Princess Diana for the X Factor generation." Cheryl also received criticism. In 2010, The Guardians Simon Hattenstone wrote about the public perception of her: "One day she might be the stoic saint coping with marital adversity or the Mother Teresa of The X Factor, smiling beatifically as her kids perform for her; the next she might be the hard-nosed bitch who lip-syncs her way through a 'live' TV performance while her X Factor wannabes have to do it for real, and who is happy to advertise L'Oréal shampoo while wearing hair extensions." Alice Vincent of The Telegraph remarked that "Cheryl's career has been pockmarked by tales of demanding behaviour and superciliary attitude". Gordon, however, described her as being "self-critical" and "very polite about everything".
Cheryl has become a recognised and photographed style icon, being referred to as a "fashionista" by the press. During her television appearances, she wore "a string of fashion-forward outfits from Givenchy and Preen, to McQueen and Missoni." In both 2009 and 2010, she was named the best dressed woman by Glamour magazine, after 14,000 votes from the magazine's readers were counted. She has been photographed for the covers of British Vogue, Elle and Harper's Bazaar. She has won Glamour Women of the Year Awards for TV Personality and Best Dressed and Style Network Award for Best Dressed Woman and Style Icon of the Decade. In February 2009, she appeared on the cover of British Vogue. The media coverage of her appearance in the magazine boosted the magazine's circulation to 240,000, its best ever February figure. Cheryl topped FHMs 100 Sexiest Women in the World list in 2009 and 2010. In March 2010, she was declared by research company Millward Brown as the second most powerful celebrity in Britain. In October 2010, a wax statue of her was added to the gallery of Madame Tussauds in London at a cost of approximately £150,000. The waxwork was removed from public display in August 2019.
On 7 July 2014, Cheryl married French restaurateur Jean-Bernard Fernandez-Versini after a three-month courtship. Following their separation, Cheryl began dating singer Liam Payne, whom she had previously judged as a contestant on The X Factor. She was later granted a decree nisi from Fernandez-Versini on 20 October 2016, and the divorce was subsequently finalised. On 22 March 2017, she gave birth to her son with Payne. Cheryl and Payne announced they had ended their relationship in July 2018. In May 2025, Cheryl was named co-administrator of Payne's estate, following his intestate death in October of the previous year.
As solo supporting act
Personal life
Relationships
Cheryl began dating England and then-Arsenal footballer Ashley Cole in September 2004, announcing their engagement after he proposed in Dubai in June 2005. The couple were married at a ceremony in Chipping Barnet, Hertfordshire, England, on 15 July 2006. They signed an exclusive deal with OK!, reportedly worth £1 million, regarding the rights to the photographs. On 23 February 2010, Cheryl announced she was separating from Cole, and on 26 May, she filed for divorce at the High Court of Justice citing "unreasonable behaviour" from her estranged husband. The divorce papers state that Cole admitted being unfaithful to Cheryl with a number of other women. She was granted a decree nisi on 3 September. She continued to use her married name, but later began using the mononym Cheryl for her music releases.
Assault conviction
On 11 January 2003, Cheryl was involved in an altercation with a nightclub toilet attendant, Sophie Amogbokpa, and subsequently charged with racially aggravated assault over the incident. At her trial on 20 October she was found guilty of assault occasioning actual bodily harm but cleared of the racially aggravated assault charge, and sentenced to 120 hours of community service. She was ordered to pay her victim £500 in Damages, as well as £3,000 prosecution costs. Judge Richard Howard said, "This was an unpleasant piece of drunken violence which caused Sophie Amogbokpa pain and suffering."
Political views
Cheryl is a lifelong supporter of the Labour Party. She proclaimed her support for same-sex marriage in 2012.
Filmography
Stage
Discography
Tours
Solo tours
Awards and nominations
2007 Nickelodeon UK Kids' Choice Awards Best Female Singer Virgin Media Awards Most Fanciable Female 2008 Hottest Female Heat Magazine Awards Sexiest Female Best Reality TV Judge 2009 Glamour Women of the Year Awards TV Personality FHMs 100 Sexiest Women in the World No. 1 Sexiest Woman in the World Style Network Awards Best Dressed Woman Style Icon of the Decade BBC Switch Live Awards Switch's Prom Queen Virgin Media Awards Hottest Female Legend of the Year Glamour Award for Woman of the Year Best Dressed 2010 4Music Video Honours Hottest Girl Magic Love Song ("Parachute") Brit Awards British Single ("Fight for This Love") Glamour Women of the Year Awards Best Dressed Woman of the Year FHMs 100 Sexiest Women in the World No. 1 Sexiest Woman in the World BT Digital Music Awards Best Female Artist Best Single ("Fight for This Love") Best Video ("Fight for This Love") 2011 Brit Awards British Single ("Parachute") Best British Female Elle Style Awards Musician of the Year NME Awards Least Stylish Worst Album ( Messy Little Raindrops) TRL Awards Best New Act Cosmopolitan Awards Best Dressed Woman BT Digital Music Awards Best Female Artist 2012 Virgin Media TV Awards Best Judge BBC Radio 1's Teen Awards Best British Single Best British Album Best British Music Act Female Hottie UK Music Video Awards People's Choice ("Call My Name") 2013 Nickelodeon UK Kids' Choice Awards Favourite UK Female Artist 2014 FHMs 100 Sexiest Women in the World Hall of Fame MTV Europe Music Awards Best UK & Ireland Act BBC Radio 1's Teen Awards Best British Solo Act Best British Single ("Crazy Stupid Love") 2015 National Television Awards TV Judge 2018 Digital Spy Best Singer 2019 Global Awards Best Female Best Pop 2020 National Television Awards TV Judge
External links
Categories: Official Website, 1983 Births, 21st-century English Women Singers, 21st-century English Singers, English Contemporary R&b Singers, Bt Digital Music Awards Winners, English Mezzo-sopranos, English People Convicted Of Assault, English Television Personalities, English Women Pop Singers, Fascination Records Artists, Girls Aloud Members, Labour Party People, Living People, Musicians From Newcastle Upon Tyne, People Convicted Of Assault Occasioning Actual Bodily Harm, Popstars Winners
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