Nicole Scherzinger

Nicole Prascovia Elikolani Valiente is an American recording artist, actress and television personality born in Honolulu, Hawaii and raised in Louisville, Kentucky. She performed initially in high school plays, and studied at Wright State University before dropping out to pursue a musical career alongside the American rock band Days of the New and later auditioned for Popstars, becoming a member of the short-lived girl group Eden's Crush. She rose to fame as the lead singer of the burlesque troupe-turned-recording act the Pussycat Dolls, who became one of the world's best-selling girl groups. During their hiatus, Scherzinger planned to embark on her solo career with Her Name is Nicole, but it was later shelved after four singles failed to impact the charts significantly. Following the group's disbandment, Scherzinger ventured into television winning the tenth season of Dancing with the Stars and became a judge on The Sing-Off and on US and UK versions of The X Factor. Her debut studio album Killer Love (2011) was released to moderate success and was preceded by the number-one single "Don't Hold Your Breath". In 2014, Scherzinger released her second album Big Fat Lie to commercial disappointment and starred on the West End revival of the musical Cats for which she received a Laurence Olivier Award nomination Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Musical. Throughout her career, she has had a total of three UK number one singles, two of which coming from recording group The Pussycat Dolls and one as a solo artist. She has sold over 60 million records worldwide, as a solo artist and as the lead singer of the Pussycat Dolls. In accordance with multiple sources, Scherzinger has sold at least 37 million singles and has had in excess of 15 million total album sales. Since her first chart entry in 2005, she has scored 20 top-20 hits on the UK Singles Chart. Outside her work in the entertainment industry, Scherzinger has advertised brands including Herbal Essences and Müller, and helped to create the clothing brand Missguided. She is also an ambassador for UNICEF and a global ambassador for the Special Olympics and is involved in charitable activities.