celebforum - Cheryl Tweedy / Cheryl Cole

Cheryl Ann Cole (née Tweedy) (born 30 June 1983) is an English singer and member of the girl group Girls Aloud. She is wife of Chelsea and England footballer Ashley Cole, who she recently had a bust up with, leading to a temporary split.
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Early career

She was born in Newcastle upon Tyne, England and was raised Catholic. Throughout her childhood she performed in a large number of modeling and fashion shows. She entered ballroom competitions, sang, acted and won a ballet competition.[1]

She won the following competitions as a child: Boots bonniest baby, Mother care Happy Faces Portrait competition, Best Looking Girl of Newcastle, The Evening Chronicle 'Little Miss & Mister' and Most Attractive Girl at the MetroCentre.[2]

She appeared in two British Gas adverts, an SCS advert, and an Eldon Square Christmas advert with younger brother Garry. In addition to Garry, Cole has another 2 brothers, Andrew and Joseph and a sister, Gillian and also a step sister called Mercedes Louise Tweedy.

Cole was also signed to a management in Newcastle before Girls Aloud alongside other acts such as 3NM and Xscape

Girls Aloud

Main article: Girls Aloud

Cole was working as a waitress when she entered the UK talent-search show Popstars: The Rivals. In the final show she received the most votes in the poll which chose the girls for the all-female group Girls Aloud, and was the first to be picked for the group. She has co-written a number of songs whilst in the group, including:

* "Big Brother" (What Will The Neighbours Say?)
* "History" (Wake Me Up single)
* "Crazy Fool" (Whole Lotta History single)

Singles with Girls Aloud

Main article: Girls Aloud discography

Private life

Nightclub incident and conviction

On 11 January 2003 Cole (then Tweedy) was involved in an altercation with a nightclub toilet attendant, Sophie Amogbokpa, in the Drink (now Harpers) nightclub in Guildford. Tweedy was subsequently charged with racially aggravated assault (she had allegedly called Amogbokpa a "Jigaboo"[3] among other racial slurs[4]) and assault occasioning actual bodily harm. During her trial Tweedy claimed she acted in self defence (claiming she had been punched first) and denied using racially abusive language.

The jury found her guilty of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, but cleared her of racially aggravated assault.[5][6] The judge sentenced her to 120 hours of community service and ordered to pay her victim £500 in compensation, as well as £3000 prosecution costs.

Media attention

Sometimes referred to in the press as "Chezza", she has gained celebrity status through her role in Girls Aloud. Cole finished seventh in 2007's FHM poll. In July 2006 Cole signed a deal worth a reported £200,000 to become the face of Coca-Cola Zero for its UK launch.[7]

During a recording at Top of the Pops, Mike Skinner of The Streets dedicated his song "When You Wasn't Famous" to Cole, leading to much media speculation and many believing the song was about her. Skinner later corrected everyone by saying that he only dedicated the song to her because Girls Aloud were at the same taping of TOTP.[8]

Lily Allen has a song about her called "Cheryl Tweedy".[9]

Cole co-presented the August 25, 2006 episode of The Friday Night Project along with Kimberley Walsh and Sarah Harding, where she did impressions of Sharon Osbourne and Big Brother 7 winner Pete Bennett.

Cole appeared on Comic Relief Does The Apprentice in 2007 to raise money for Comic Relief.[10]

Ashley Cole

Even before marrying Ashley, she won the title of "Sexiest Footballer's Wife" in FHM's 2006 Bloke Awards,[11] and as Cole's fiancée she was a prominent "WAG" in Germany during the 2006 World Cup.

She married Ashley Cole at Wrotham Park, Hertsmere, Hertfordshire on 15 July 2006 - although they were originally planning to marry at Highclere Castle, Berkshire (according to a guard at the premises). When the two changed their plans, Tweedy and Cole had asked the staff there to lie to the press and not to disclose the fact they weren't actually getting married there.[12] Cole had a dress designed by Roberto Cavalli, reportedly worth £110,000 (€145,000), flown to England.[13] The wedding was paid for by OK! Magazine, who paid the couple £1 million to publish pictures of the wedding.[14]

She now lives in Oxshott, Surrey with her husband Ashley, but their marriage was thrown into jeopardy on 25 January 2008 when The Sun reported that Cole had been unfaithful with North London hairdresser Aimee Walton during December 2007. Other newspapers quickly picked up the story and more girls came forward to claim they had also bedded Ashley while he was married. Cheryl originally claimed Walton made the story up but The Sun then printed extracts of taped conversations between Walton and Cole and Walton and Cole's representative. In them Walton was allegedly offered money and a holiday to have an abortion. After the story was printed Cheryl moved out of the couple's home.