Cheryl's pop journey to the top
- Published
Pop star Cheryl Fernandez-Versini has become a record-breaker after scoring the most UK number one singles for a British female ever. Cheryl's latest hit "I Don't Care", became her fifth chart topper, overtaking the previous record held by Geri Halliwell and Rita Ora, but it's just the latest chapter in a long musical journey.
Cheryl first started her pop career back in 2002 when she won a talent competition called "Pop Stars: The Rivals", and formed the band Girls Aloud. The group's first single Sound of the Underground became the Christmas number one single for 2002.
Cheryl joined The X Factor as a judge in 2008 and mentored two of the winning contestants. After a break away from the show she returned in 2014 for the new series.
Cheryl's first solo single was called Fight for This Love and was released in 2009. The single went straight to number one in the UK charts and so did her first album 3 Words. At this point Girls Aloud decided to separate for a few years, so that the singers could focus on their solo careers.
Cheryl released her second solo album in 2010. Promise This became her second solo number one single. Cheryl was offered a job as a judge on the American version of The X Factor but was ditched after just a few weeks by the show's boss Simon Cowell.
Call My Name became Cheryl's third number one single in 2012 and sold a total of 417,000 copies in the UK. She also announced her first solo tour in 2012 and performed a duet with Gary Barlow at the Queen's Diamond Jubilee concert. In the same year Girls Aloud announced that they were reuniting - but then split for good in 2013 before her fourth number one hit Crazy, Stupid Love.