Cheryl Cole

Cheryl Cole (nee Tweedy) is a singer and former judge on The X Factor from 2008 to 2011. The singer rose to fame in 2002 when she was chosen to join the singing group Girls Aloud on ITV’s Popstars: The Rivals.

The group achieved massive success in the U.K., scoring 20 consecutive Top 10 singles (including four that went to No. 1) and five platinum albums. Cole released her first solo album, 3 Words, in October 2009, which spent two weeks at No. 1.

In June 2008, Cole replaced Sharon Osbourne on The X Factor, joining fellow judges Simon Cowell, Dannii Minogue and Louis Walsh. The singer was slated to judge the U.S. version of the program, but was later replaced by Pussycat Dolls singer Nicole Scherzinger.

Cole married soccer player Ashley Cole on July 15, 2006; she filed for divorce on May 26, 2010, citing “unreasonable behavior” as the reason for their split. Two months later, Cole was treated for malaria after a visit to Tanzania.

The singer moved on with former One Direction singer Liam Payne in 2015, two years before welcoming son Bear Grey. They announced their split in July 2018. Payne died in October 2024 at age 31 after falling from his hotel balcony in Argentina.