Cheryl Cole: Her Story - the Unauthorized Biography (24 page)

Cheryl still managed to have a spot of harmless fun on
The X Factor
, when a good-looking lad called Joseph Chukukere walked in for his audition. As he launched into a soulful version of ‘Ain’t No Sunshine’, Cheryl couldn’t stop herself from smiling, and when he reached the end of his audition Dannii
joked, ‘I think you have a “yes” from Cheryl already.’ Cheryl didn’t deny it, exclaiming, ‘Oh my God, you are gorgeous!’ When he left the room she playfully sighed, ‘He was cute.’ The press, of course, made a mountain out of a molehill, and the
Mirror
quoted Joseph’s girlfriend as saying, ‘Cheryl can keep her hands to herself.’ But the girl needn’t have bothered. Cheryl was delighted to be reunited with Ashley, and by September the wedding rings were back on again.

And it seemed that Cheryl was universally popular in her role on
The X Factor.
Well, almost. Charlotte Church said on her Channel 4 show that Cheryl’s refusal to judge Nikk Mager proved she ‘had no backbone’. Cheryl’s
X Factor
colleague, presenter Dermot O’Leary, however, was swift to defend her at a press conference – saying that in many ways Cheryl was similar to her predecessor, the well-loved Sharon Osbourne. ‘Odd as it sounds, in many ways Cheryl is almost a like-for-like replacement. Sharon has that same maternal instinct and she’s an incredibly ballsy lady. Cheryl brings all that. She exudes an incredible warmth because she has been there, done that.’

If any proof was needed of Cheryl’s popularity, it came when
Heat
magazine declared her Britain’s Top Style Icon, with her beating off the likes of Victoria Beckham, Coleen Rooney and ITV2’s
Xtra Factor
presenter Holly Willoughby. Laughing about the accolade, Cheryl told
Heat
magazine: ‘Women think that men think you look best dolled up – but as a band Girls Aloud are always so dressed up, so I’m preferred in my trackie with my hair up and no make-up … When I’ve got no make-up on, hair scraped off my head, [Ashley] always says, “Oh, you look cute!”’

The year may have begun with a bump, but overall 2008 was turning out to be brilliant for Cheryl. Girls Aloud had sold out arenas, she had landed a job on
The X Factor
and she was as in love with Ashley as she had been at the start of their relationship. She had come so far: no longer was she the little girl from Heaton with stars in her eyes. Now she was a successful woman, and although she had suffered some hardships, she had pulled through gallantly.

All in all, Cheryl had now reached a point in her life where she was content, although there was still lots more for the ambitious lass to achieve. And with her man by her side once more, it seemed she had the confidence to try anything. The coming autumn would see Girls Aloud’s fifth studio album released, and the girls’ careers appeared set to continue to dazzle.

But music, by now, was second nature to Cheryl. It was the challenge of her new TV career as a talent-show judge that was capturing her – and the nation’s – imagination. But she hardly dared dream for what she truly wished for: to come out on top at the end of the series, having made someone else’s ambition a reality. Surely that was too much to hope for?

As Cheryl’s first series of
The X Factor
progressed, rumours emerged once again that relations between Cheryl and her fellow judge Dannii Minogue had become strained. According to various reports, Dannii was unhappy that she seemed to have been sidelined in the final edits of the show, the ones that were eventually broadcast.

Publicly, Dannii said that she understood that, as the new judge, Cheryl had to appear more on screen to establish her with the audience. However, rival panellist Louis Walsh, who was never short of a soundbite, said that he believed Simon Cowell had forgotten about Dannii this time round. ‘He definitely flirted with Dannii throughout last year’s series, but he seems to have moved on,’ he told
Heat
magazine. ‘He’s flirting with Cheryl this year.’

When asked if he thought Simon had turned his attention to a ‘more attractive’ model, Louis responded: ‘Yes, you might say that. He’s definitely paying attention to Cheryl now, not Dannii.’

But rivalries were soon forgotten as Cheryl and the other judges continued to see more talented – and not-so-talented – wannabes pass through the audition room. One, called Dav John, turned up announcing he was to sing ‘What Comes Around’ by Justin Timberlake. Sadly, his mumbling performance fell short of anything his idol could have achieved. As Simon and Louis dissolved into hysterics beside her, Cheryl found it hard to keep a straight face. After the audition, she kindly said, ‘You look like Justin,’ albeit with the closing statement, ‘but you sound nothing like him.’

Yet if she thought Dav John was a funny fish, Cheryl wasn’t prepared for one particular set of auditionees: two brothers from Wales, who called themselves Ant and Seb. Before they entered the audition room, they told Dermot O’Leary that they were confident that their unique brand of pop could give Wales its first win on the show.

‘
The X Factor
has never had anyone like us on before,’ Sebastian boasted. And he was right. As they walked into the room, the judges could tell instantly that these boys would be TV gold. When asked who they compared themselves to, Sebastian likened their duo to Usher and P. Diddy, with a mix of Rick Astley.

The hapless pair failed to see the amusement on the judges’ faces as they launched into their audition song, ‘Mysterious Girl’ by Peter Andre. It wasn’t that Anton’s voice was bad – he did actually sing in tune – it was Sebastian’s MC interjections, encouraging the judges to ‘C’mon, move your body’, which hit a bum note. His badly timed, poorly executed rap caused the judges no end of mirth. Poor Cheryl, who tried desperately to keep her giggles in check, couldn’t hold back her sniggers
in the end, as the oddball pair continued to destroy the Peter Andre classic.

Needless to say, the brothers failed to make it through to boot camp. But many other hopefuls did manage to impress the tough foursome with some powerhouse vocals. Among the stand-out stars was sixteen-year-old Eoghan Quigg from Northern Ireland, who sang ‘Tears In Heaven’ by Eric Clapton and ‘Home’ by Michael Bublé. Widower Daniel Evans pulled at the heartstrings with his painfully sincere rendition of ‘Sometimes When We Touch’, while seventeen-year-old wannabe Diana Vickers, from Blackburn – who became immediately recognizable to viewers, with her kooky backcombed hair and a Dolores O’Riordan-style voice – stunned the judges with an emotional version of Damien Rice’s ‘The Blower’s Daughter’.

Amy Winehouse-soundalike Laura White also wowed the panel – with a show-stopping cover of ‘Somebody Else’s Guy’ – as did Alexandra Burke, a contestant from London who had made it through to the judges’ houses part of the show three years before. Back then, Louis had shattered her dreams, telling her she hadn’t made it through because he felt as though something was missing. Standing in front of the panel, the nineteen-year-old told them she had learned a lot since her last appearance on the programme – and then launched into an incredible version of ‘Saving All My Love For You’ by Whitney Houston.

As she reached the end of the first chorus, Simon raised his hand to stop her, and then asked Louis what he thought about her performance. It was good news for Alex: it appeared that the years had softened Louis’s heart and he declared that she was excellent. Indeed, this time around, the judges were unanimous in revelling in the glory of the singer’s vocals. Yet
it was Cheryl who was moved the most. Unable to speak for tears, the normally tough little cookie uttered through sobs: ‘I was blown away. I think you’re amazing. I have goosebumps.’

When it came to deciding whether Alexandra deserved to go through to the next round, a humbled Cheryl said defiantly, ‘It’s not even a question. It’s a one-hundred-percent yes.’ Afterwards, the perceptive judge reflected: ‘She was mind-blowing. She has something special.’

When
The X Factor
entered its boot-camp stage, it became clear to all the judges that ‘the girls’ were by far the strongest category – and each of them was keen to land the group. Cheryl, in particular, was keeping her fingers crossed that the show’s producers would give her the chance to mentor the girls in the final stages of the series, especially when she saw how much talent some of the contestants had.

Laura White continued to impress. When she sang ‘The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face’ during boot camp, the panel were united in their praise for her. ‘You blew me away,’ Cheryl said, and Laura was seen through to the next day.

Yet when the hopeful performed Amy Winehouse’s ‘Back To Black’, just a day later, Cheryl had second thoughts, commenting: ‘She sounded like Amy Winehouse … but when she has had a few drinks.’

Luckily, that rare moment of inconsistency on Laura’s part didn’t affect the judges’ overall feelings for her, and Laura – along with Alexandra Burke, Diana Vickers, Annastasia Baker, Hannah Bradbeer and Amy Connelly – was chosen to go through to the next round: the judges’ houses. These six, uber-talented contestants cemented the panel’s initial feelings that the girls’ category was the strongest and, as they had been
when boot camp began, all the judges were keen to get their hands on the group. But Cheryl was the lucky one – leaving Simon with the boys, Louis with the groups and Dannii with the over-25s.

Cheryl flew her hopefuls to a villa in Cannes. She knew all too well how the starry-eyed wannabes were feeling at this precise moment. They were one step away from the final stage – the live TV shows – and it was her life-changing decision that would determine whether or not they would continue on their journey. It was a particularly tough scenario for Cheryl because she had been in this very situation herself. Yet she knew that she had to do it. This was her job: to select the three most talented performers in her group.

Fortunately, the producers had given her the opportunity to choose a guest judge for this part of the audition process, who would work alongside Cheryl to help her identify her final three. She chose her bandmate and closest friend Kimberley Walsh. Working together, they would decide which contestants deserved to proceed further in the competition.

Cheryl advised the eager hopefuls not to let nerves affect their performances, as far as they were able. Each had to sing solo one last time for her and Kimberley. This really was the make-or-break moment. The girls gave it their all, singing their songs from the heart. Once all six had performed, it was ultimately left up to Cheryl to determine which three would make it through.

The decision was an incredibly hard one for her. No sooner had the contestants hurried back to the villa to await their fate than the Geordie burst into tears. ‘I have just realized the responsibility I’ve got,’ she sobbed.

Cheryl knew exactly what the girls were going through. She’d been there herself, experienced this moment first hand: when the course of the rest of her life had been in the hands of another, and she couldn’t do anything about it.

It was this element of the show that had put her off taking part in
The X Factor
in the first place. She would be giving three people the chance of their lives, while dashing the dreams of another three. In the end, she reasoned that it was all part of the game; that this was a competition seeking the best talent the country had to offer.

Although Cheryl had Kimberley to assist her in making the hard decisions, she was on her own when it came to telling three of the girls – face to face – that their journey was at an end. First to discover her destiny was Annastasia Baker. She had impressed over the weeks, but during her performance at the villa she had fallen apart with nerves: an issue that Cheryl was forced to consider in rejecting her. Hannah was devastated to learn that she too would be proceeding no further, while young Amy was inconsolable to be told that she wouldn’t be making the live finals.

When Diana Vickers sat down with Cheryl, she wasn’t sure what the outcome would be. Cheryl didn’t keep her waiting for too long – and revealed that she was indeed one of her three finalists. Diana was over the moon.

Next up was Laura White. When she joined Cheryl to discover her fate, her soon-to-be mentor played a similar trick to the one that Geri Halliwell had played on
Popstars: The Rivals
all those years ago. ‘You have such a specific sound,’ Cheryl began, ‘and I’m not sure if the public would be able to relate to that.’

As the words slipped out, Laura looked crestfallen. Was her
journey over? Not likely. For Cheryl then hastily added, ‘You are in the final three.’ Laura was through, and she was beside herself.

Yet more was still to come. Cheryl saved her wickedest trick for Alexandra Burke, the girl who had fallen at this same hurdle on
The X Factor
three years before. ‘I can only take three people through to the finals,’ Cheryl explained clearly, and then she looked Alexandra in the eye. ‘I didn’t want to be the person to do this to you again.’

Alex – sensing that her journey was over once again, and at the identical stage at which she’d lost out in 2005 – was overcome with grief. She began sobbing uncontrollably, ‘No, not again.’

Seeing how upset she was becoming, Cheryl was no longer able to keep Alex in the dark and gladly announced, ‘You’re in the final three.’ Overjoyed, a speechless Alex threw her arms around Cheryl’s neck and together they tumbled back into the seat. Alex squeezed her mentor with all her might. She couldn’t believe that, after three years, she had finally made it through to the live shows. Surely she was destined to make it as a star now – or so she hoped.

When the first week of studio shows arrived, in early October 2008, the memories came flooding back to Cheryl as she remembered the very first Saturday night that she had stepped out on to the
Popstars: The Rivals
stage. As she watched Dermot introduce each contestant, she was transported back to 2002, when she was just an eighteen-year-old wannabe, desperately hoping she would triumph on the show. She remembered the quaking heart, the butterflies in her stomach and the dry mouth all too well.