Cheryl Cole

After years of TV commercials, her big break finally came in 2002 when Cheryl auditioned for ITV’s nationwide talent search Popstars: The Rivals. A pitch-perfect rendition of S Club 7 hit ‘Have You Ever’ earned her a place in the second round of the competition, and the teenager made it to the live finals where she competed for a place in all-girl group Girls Aloud.

She became the first contestant picked for the quintet, who went on to score the Christmas number one that year with smash hit ‘Sound Of The Underground’. Cheryl and her bandmates became overnight sensations in the UK. By 2008 Girls Aloud had enjoyed phenomenal success in the UK. The girls saw four of their albums go platinum and broke a music industry record when 17 consecutive singles made the UK top ten.

In June 2008, Cheryl signed on to join the judges panel of Simon Cowell’s The X Factor, a role that converted her into the nation’s sweetheart. The program also helped her launch her solo career. In 2009 she took to The X Factor stage to perform her first single, ’Fight For This Love’, which made it to number one and quickly became the year’s fastest-selling record.