Cheryl

Born on June 30, 1983, in Newcastle Upon Tyne, England, Cheryl Ann Tweedy (aka Cheryl Cole and Cheryl Fernandez-Versini) is an English singer and television personality. Before she became a small screen star, Cole grew up in a crime- and drug-ridden neighborhood, where money was often tight. She and her siblings often ran into trouble with authorities. One of her older brothers was allegedly sent to a young offender's institution for stabbing two students in a local pub. Cole, herself, was also suspended from high school twice; once, for fighting with a student and again for swearing on a bus. Yet, amidst all the instability, Cole was driven to succeed. As a child, she won several modeling competitions, learned how to dance ballet, and appeared in a few television commercials. In 2002, Cole beat out thousands of hopefuls and became one of the finalists on the reality talent competition show, "Popstars: The Rivals," a spin-off of the popular "Popstars" (ITV, 2001) franchise where aspiring singers competed to become a member of a pop group.