Cheryl Tweedy

Cheryl Tweedy was born in England in 1983, one of 5 children in a Catholic family. Tweedy’s mother, Joan Callaghan, often entered Cheryl and her brother Garry in modeling contests for children. By age 6, Cheryl had won several competitions and appeared in British commercials, including one with her brother.


At 16, Tweedy had beaten out 9,000 other hopefuls to secure a berth at London’s Royal Ballet Summer School. Her next challenge was finding the funding to pay for this training. Cheryl performed on the English television show “Gimme 5” – a Saturday morning show for kids – hoping to get sponsors for ballet school.
While Cheryl had a talent for dancing and had been told as much by the Royal Academy of Dancing, her true desire was to sing. In 2002, Tweedy auditioned for “Popstars: The Rivals”, a reality television show that created a boy band and a girl band and then pitted them against each other for the title. (This show was actually the inspiration for Simon Fuller’s Pop Idol, from which American Idol was spun). Cheryl made it through the initial audition and was sent to London for the next round.


Cheryl made it through to the final round and became one of the five girls selected for the band. Together, they chose the name “Girls Aloud” and spent three weeks promoting their single “Sound of the Underground.” Their work paid off as they were selected the winners over the boy band.


Cheryl and the band enjoyed their popularity and worked to release their first album, including touring to promote it. Their joy was short-lived when Tweedy was involved in a fight with a restroom attendant at a nightclub and was subsequently charged with racially aggravated assault. The incident went to trial where Tweedy claimed self-defense and denied using racial slurs. However, the jury found her guilty of physical assault, but cleared her of the racially aggravated charges. Cheryl was ordered to pay compensatory and court costs as well as perform community service.


Tweedy and Girls Aloud put the past behind them and went on to record additional albums as well as tour. Cheryl co-wrote many of the songs that the group recorded. In 2005, Tweedy dated and became engaged to Chelsea footballer, Ashley Cole. The couple married in 2006.


Cheryl Tweedy continued to be the subject of media attention, signing a deal in 2006 to be the face of Coca-Cola Zero for its United Kingdom launch. She also finished seventh in the For Him Magazine’s poll. In addition, her attendance at football games to support her husband has been fodder for paparazzi as well.
Cheryl Tweedy Cole continues to record and perform with Girls Aloud as well as appear on British television programs and benefits.




At the age of 6, Cheryl Tweedy won the children's "World Star Of Future Modelling" competition. She also other competitions held by Boots, and Mothercare. Cheryl Tweedy was also voted "Best Looking Girl of Newcastle" and "Most Attractive Girl" at the Metro Centre. She also appeared in 2 British Gas adverts as well as adverts for SCS and for Eldon Square.

At the age of 16 Cheryl Tweedy auditioned for the Royal Ballet Summer School in London, where she beat over 9,000 others to secure a place. She performed on Tyne Tees Television "Gimme 5" show where she was looking for sponsors to get into the Royal Ballet School.

Despite securing a place at the Royal Ballet School and getting distinctions for her dancing, Cheryl Tweedy wanted to sing. By the age of 13 Cheryl performed many gigs including Metroland, Sunderland F.C. and in Amsterdam.

Cheryl was working as a waitress when she decided to audition for ITV1's "Popstars: The Rivals". At her first audition, Cheryl sang S Club 7's "Have You Ever". She got the thumbs up from all three judges to go through to the next round of auditions to be held in London.

As the competition entered its "final 10" format, Cheryl Tweedy performed hits including "Still The One", "Nothing Compares To You" and ""Right Here Waiting". She was the first female to be announced as a winner and won her place in the pop group which would shortly be named Girls Aloud.

After three weeks of constant promotion for their single "Sound Of The Underground", the girls were declared the winners of the show as they took the elusive 2002 Christmas Number 1 spot.

Girls Aloud have had two number one hits and, unusually for a talent show band, remain popular. But it nearly fell apart for Cheryl Tweedy in 2003.

During a drunken night out with fellow band-member Nicola Roberts at a Guildford nightclub, she punched a black toilet attendant in the face.

At her ensuing trial, she was cleared of racially aggravated assault, though found guilty of the lesser charge of occasioning actual bodily harm. The judge described her behaviour as "an unpleasant piece of drunken violence".

She was sentenced to 120 hours of community service in her native North East which consisted of sanding benches and working in a care home for people with multiple sclerosis.

The affair "brought me down to earth", she said afterwards." It made me realise just how lucky I was to lead the life I do."

She endured plenty of criticism at the time. Ulrika Jonsson branded her an "arrogant bully" who sets an "abysmal example to young women".

A tabloid spat between the two was born and continues still. But crucially, Cheryl Tweedy's fears that she might be dropped by her fellow band-members and her record company, proved groundless. Three years later, Girls Aloud are still touring successfully despite constant rumours that they're on the verge of splitting.
Cheryl Tweedy also has a long running tabloid fued with welsh singer Charlotte Church. During and interview in 2005, Cheryl Tweedy claimed that Charlotte copied their first Girls Aloud album and their image for her debut in the pop music. A source told The Sun Newspaper: "She says Charlotte has no originality and reckons she is trying to copy the image that made them a chart success."

A furious Charlotte hits back at Tweedy, saying Girls Aloud will never be able to reach her performances as a singer, because “they just don't have the range”.

In a webchat session she explained: "Girls Aloud wouldn't be able to sing 'Crazy Chick' if they possibly tried. They just don't have the range, darling. And when they've sold as many records as me, then they can comment".

Since then the two ladies have taken every opportunity to denounce each other to the tabloids. In June 2006, Cheryl Tweedy commented on Church’s new advert for Walkers crisps saying: “Stuffing her face? Very appropriate.”

Church responded to the Mirror newspaper: “First of all – it was quite funny – but now it’s just pathetic. I’m going to knock her out if I ever see her.”

Cheryl Tweedy has also launched a tabloid attack on Paris Hilton. When asked about Paris’ forthcoming album, Cheryl remarked: “It’s very funny. One of the girls saw her in a film and said she was abysmal, so the album should be interesting.”

“She looks like a Barbie doll. She makes me laugh.” “I don’t think there’s any substance to her.”

In July 2006 Cheryl Tweedy signed a deal worth a reported £200,000 to become the face of Coca-Cola Zero for its UK launch.

On July 15th 2006, Ashley Cole was to became Cheryl Tweedy's footballer husband in a ceremony that was originally due to be a simple, quiet affair, but got the full showbiz treatment partly financed by an OK! magazine photo deal. During the run up to the wedding, Girls Aloud star Cheryl Tweedy urged others to elope rather than plan big weddings. “If you ever get married, run away and do it somewhere else,” Cheryl urged at Alien Autopsy premiere.

“It’s seriously stressful - it’s like another full time job.”

“I’ve hired a wedding planner but all he ever does is call me and ask me to make more decisions. I feel like I’m living with a phone glued to my ear.”

“Right now I’m starting to think I should jack it all in and Ashley and I should run off and elope somewhere.”

“I just want it to be him and me, alone on a beach - but I know my mum would kill me if I did.”

In June 2006, Cheryl Tweedy spent the duration of the world cup in Germany chatting to Victoria Beckham about her forthcoming wedding to Ashley Cole. Cheryl revealed recently: “We didn’t shut up - it was wedding this and wedding that. She was like, ‘Your wedding dress, it’s got to be amazing. I’ve seen some fabulous ones.”

Victoria then arranged for her favourite designer Roberto Cavalli to design a £110,000 dress for Cheryl.

Despite her apparent friendship with many of the footballers WAGs in Germany, Cheryl Tweedy called her fellow WAGs vain. Cheryl revealed: “It really annoys me when people try to call me a footballer’s wife.”

“Footballers’ wives have no careers and live off their husbands’ money. You see girls in clubs making a beeline for the footballers and it makes me sick.”

Of her fellow WAGS, Cheryl Tweedy said: “It’s like a comedy. Everyone’s so flash. It’s like, ‘Who’s got the best watch on, who’s got the best bag, which wife is dressed the best, which has got the best hair?’”

“I was in Girls Aloud before I met Ashley and have my own successful career. I’m not going to quit the band and sit around in the sun all day or go shopping with Ashley’s plastic.

“If I’m going shopping I’ll pay with the money I’ve worked hard for. I would die of embarrassment if I had to resort to taking boyfriend’s cards.”

She didn’t include Victoria Beckham in her criticisms: “I love Victoria. She’s just so witty and down to earth. She’s from a girl band and she’s not a typical footballer’s wife . She’s very ambitious, so we have a lot in common. The first time I went to an England match to watch Ashley was just so embarrassing.”

“All the other girls were really glammed up, then I walked in with chipped nail polish and wearing a jumper. I looked terrible. But Victoria was so welcoming. She wasn’t intimidating or starry at all. We had a right laugh together.”

Cheryl Tweedy and Ashley Cole's wedding plans had been changed, with the wedding did Not at swanky Wrotham Park. It emeged that the couple could not legally tie the knot at Wrotham Park, in Hertfordshire, because the venue does not have a wedding licence.

Cheryl and Ashley married on Friday July 14th in a low-key ceremony at the five-star Sopwell House Hotel near St Albans, attended only by family and close friends. The much touted £1million wedding bash, paid for by the glossy mag, was only a blessing. Expected guests David Beckham, Frank Lampard and Rio Ferdinand were among stars who did not go to the "blessing". It later emerged that some guests boycotted the bash in fury at being told attending meant agreeing to be in OK! magazine's coverage.

With all the recent speculation, the public awaits what Cheryl Tweedy's next career move will be.