Star Facts
- Nicola has launched her own make-up range, Dainty Doll, created especially for fair skin
- She had a cameo role in the comedy caper St. Trinians
- Nicola almost didn’t make it into the final of Popstars or into Girls Aloud – she was called in to replace Nicola Ward who quit the show
- Before Girls Aloud, Nicola worked as a waitress
Biography:
Born in Stamford but raised in Runcorn, Nicola has one sister and two brothers. Her musical career began when she started singing with a girl group at a local disco. She then went on to sing and perform at the Olwen Grounds School of Dance.
Nicola auditioned for the ITV talent show Popstars: The Rivals in 2002. There she was teamed up with fellow female popstar hopefuls to create the chart-topping girl group sensation that was Girls Aloud. A Christmas number one followed with their debut single Sound of the Underground. All of their albums went platinum, and they are still the most successful reality TV pop group ever, selling more than 10 million albums worldwide.
When Girls Aloud split in 2009, Nicola launched her own range of make-up for girls with fair skin called Dainty Doll. She admitted that she’d always felt like ‘the ugly one’ in the band, and felt under pressure to conform to the tanned and blonde stereotype. The range has been a hit since its launch in Harrods.
With Cheryl licking her wounds after the American X Factor embarrassment and Nadine’s solo career falling flat, Nicola has just begun to release her own solo material. Her first single, Beat of My Drum is a million miles away from the Girls Aloud sound and was deemed one of the best pop singles of 2011.