Cheryl Ann Cole (née Tweedy, born June 30, 1983) is an English singer, songwriter, model and television personality. In late 2002, Tweedy (like their name at the time) was chosen to become a member of girl group Girls Aloud on ITV reality TV show Popstars rivals. The made-for-TV group she was a spectacular success, making a string of twenty consecutive UK singles top ten (including four number one), two number one albums in the UK, and was nominated for five Brit awards - Winner "Best Single" in 2009 for "The Promise".
Cole was born in Newcastle upon Tyne, England and raised in poverty on council estates in the districts from the center of Walker and Heaton. She is the fourth of five children, Joan Callaghan, and the eldest son of Gary Tweedy.
Interested in dance from an early age, Cole began dancing in the sequence of four years, before joining the Royal Ballet School summer at the age of nine. Besides dancing, Cole won many modeling contests, including "Baby bonniest" Boots Group, Mothercare Happy Faces Portrait competition, Best Looking Girl of Newcastle, The Evening Chronicle "Little Miss and Mister" and "more attractive Girl" at the MetroCentre . She also appeared in two British Gas ad, an ad for SCS, and Eldon Square Christmas advert with younger brother Garry. Cole also appeared in dance recitals in some television programs.
She attended Walker Comprehensive School in Newcastle, but left at age 16 with few qualifications. She was suspended twice during his time there, once for fighting with another student and again for swearing on a bus. After school she took a job as a waitress in a restaurant.
In 2008, Cole became a judge on the British reality show The X Factor and has been a judge for two years to win consectutive: Alexandra Burke in 2008 and in 2009 with Joe McElderry. Cole has been called "the nation's new girlfriend for their contribution to the series.
Her first solo single, "fight for love" was the biggest seller of 2009, only so far when he entered the UK Singles Chart and the Irish Singles Chart at number one, , becoming the fourth best -selling year. His debut solo album, three words, made a similar success second solo album Cole, raindrops bit messy, is scheduled to be released in November 2010. The first single will be "Pledge This", later followed by "The Flood."
She has become a recognized style icon, appearing on the cover of British Vogue, Elle and Harper's Bazaar. In 2009, Cole became the new face of L'Oréal. She married the Chelsea and England footballer Ashley Cole in July 2006 but officially filed for divorce from her husband in May 2010 and a conditional statement was issued on September 3, 2010.
