Popstars is an international reality television franchise and a precursor to the Idol series. The series first began in New Zealand in 1999 when producer Jonathan Dowling formed the five member all-girl group TrueBliss. Popstars remains one of the most successful TV show formats of all time with the format being sold to more than 50 countries. The show was the inspiration for Simon Fuller's Pop Idol franchise.

History[link]

Countries which had a version of Popstars

The series first began in New Zealand in 1999 when producer Jonathan Dowling formed the five member all-girl group TrueBliss. Dowling then licensed the concept to Screentime in Australia, who then on sold it to TresorTV in Germany before taking it worldwide. Popstars remains one of the most successful TV show formats of all time with the format being sold to more than 50 countries.

The show was the inspiration for Simon Fuller's Pop Idol franchise which would dominate reality TV, (along with Big Brother) for the next few years.

Although Popstars had started successfully in most countries during early 2000s, the shows gradually began to fail and were dropped by many broadcasters due to poor ratings. The last country where Popstars was still popular and successful - beside other casting shows such as The X Factor and Got Talent, as well as Idol - was Germany. In Germany, ProSieben produced the ninth season in 2010 because of the show's massive success in the ratings, but in 2011, Popstars was finally cancelled because of the poor and short success of the bands. In 2007, the show returned to France on M6 for one season. Since August 2008, there has also been a new version of Popstars on TV in the Netherlands. It has now ended its third season.

[edit] The Popstars series

Region/country	Local title	Wikipedia page	Television network	Seasons/series and winners	Other notable artists	Reference Language Wikipedia
Argentina	Popstars: Tu Show Está Por Empezar		Azul TV (1) Telefé	Season 1, 2001: Bandana Season 2, 2002: Mambrú
Australia	Popstars		Seven Network	Season 1, 2000: Bardot Season 2, 2001: Scandal'us Season 3, 2002: Scott Cain	Season 3: Danielle Stearman
	Popstars Live	Popstars Live	Seven Network	Season 1, 2004: Kayne Taylor	Season 1: Miranda Murphy
Austria	Popstars: Mission Österreich		PULS4 Website	Season 1, 2011: Kilmokit
Belgium	Pop Stars		VT4	Season 1, 2001: Vanda Vanda
Brazil	Popstars	Popstars (Brazil)	SBT	Season 1, 2002:Rouge Season 2, 2003: Br'oZ	Season 1: Marjorie Estiano	pt:Popstars
Canada	Popstars		CTV	Season 1, 2001: Sugar Jones
	Popstars: Boy Meets Girl		Global TV	Season 1, 2002: Velvet Empire
	Popstars: The One		Global TV (2)	Season 3, 2003: Christa Borden
Colombia	Popstars		Canal Caracol	Season 1, 2002: Escarcha		es:Popstars
Denmark	Popstars (1-3) Popstars Showtime! (4)		TV 2	Season 1, 2001: EyeQ Season 2, 2002: Jon Nørgaard Season 3, 2003: Fu:el Season 4, 2004: Maria Lucia	Season 2: Julie Berthelsen	da:Popstars
Ecuador	Popstars		Teleamazonas	Season 1, 2003: Kiruba Season 2, 2004: La Coba		es:Popstars
Finland	Popstars (1) Popstars (2)		MTV3	Season 1, 2002: Gimmel Season 2, 2004: INDX	Season 1: Kana Season 2: Jane	fi:Popstars
France	Popstars (1,2,4) Popstars - le duel (3)	Popstars (France)	M6	Season 1, 2001: L5 Season 2, 2002: Whatfor Season 3, 2003: Linkup Season 4, 2007: Sheryfa Luna	Season 1: Louisy Joseph Season 3: Diadems Season 3: M. Pokora	fr:Popstars (France)
Germany	Popstars (1, 2, 4-8 ) Popstars - Das Duell (3) Popstars: Girls Forever (9)	Popstars (Germany)	RTL II (1,2) ProSieben (3- ) Website	Season 1, 2000: No Angels Season 2, 2001: Bro'Sis Season 3, 2003: Overground Season 4, 2004: Nu Pagadi Season 5, 2005: Monrose Season 6, 2006: Room 2012 Season 7, 2007: Queensberry Season 8, 2008: Some & Any Season 9, 2010: LaViVe Season 10, 2012: Upcoming Season	Season 3: Preluders Season 5: Mandy Capristo	de:Popstars
Greece Cyprus	Popstars		Mega TV	Season 1, 2003: Hi-5
Hungary	Popsztárok		TV2 Hungary	Season 1, 2002: Sugar & Spice
India	Coke [V] Popstars		Channel V	Season 1, 2002: Viva Season 2, 2003: Aasma
Indonesian	Popstars Indonesia		Trans TV	Season 1, 2003: Sparx
Ireland	Irish Popstars		RTÉ One	Season 1, 2002: Six
Italy	Popstars (1) Superstar Tour (2)		Italia 1	Season 1, 2001: Lollipop Season 2: 2003: Lucky Star		it:Popstar
Kenya	Coca-Cola Popstars			Season 1, 2004: Sema
Malaysia	Popstars			Season 1, 2003: By'U
Mexico	Popstars	Popstars (Mexico)	Televisa	Season 1, 2002: T' de Tila		es:Popstars
Netherlands	Popstars: The Rivals		RTL 4	Season 1, 2004: Men2B (boys) and Raffish (girls)
	Popstars		SBS 6	Season 1, 2008: RED! Season 2, 2009-10: Wesley Klein Season 3, 2010-11: Dean Saunders		nl:Popstars (Nederland)
New Zealand	Popstars		TV2	Season 1, 1999: TrueBliss Season 2, 2001: Aaria
Norway	Popstars		TV3 Norway	Season 1, 2001: Cape
Portugal	Popstars	Popstars (Portugal)	SIC	Season 1, 2001: Nonstop		pt:Popstars
Romania	Popstars		Pro TV	Season 1, 2003: Cocktail
Russia	PopStars		Rossiya 1	Season 1, 2002: Drugie Pravila (in Russian: Другие Правила)		ru:Popstars
Slovenia	Popstars		Kanal A	Season 1, 2002: Bepop Season 2, 2003: Unique
Spain	Popstars: Todo por un sueño		Telecinco	Season 1, 2002: Bellepop	Season 1: Roser	es:Popstars
Sweden	Popstars		Kanal 5	Season 1, 2002: Excellence aka XLNS Season 2, 2003: Supernatural Season 3, 2004: Johannes Kotschy		sv:Popstars
South Africa	Popstars		e.tv Website	2002: 101 2004: Jamali 2010: Nne Vida
Tanzania	Coca-Cola Popstars			Season 1, 2004: Wakilisha
Turkey	Popstars		Show TV	Season 1, 200?: Adibin Season 2, 200?: Selçuk Demirelli
Uganda	Coca-Cola Popstars			Season 1, 2004: Blu3
United Kingdom	Popstars	Popstars (UK)	ITV	Series 1, 2001: Hear'Say	Liberty X (finalists) Darius Danesh Warren Stacey
	Popstars: The Rivals	Popstars: The Rivals	ITV	Series 1, 2002: Girls Aloud	One True Voice (finalists, men) Javine Hylton Phixx Clea LoveShy (Aimee and Emma from Clea) The Cheeky Girls
United States	Popstars		The WB Television Network	Season 1, Spring 2001: Eden's Crush Season 2, Winter 2001: Scene 23

Number one singles[link]

The following is a list of singles that reached #1 in the respective nations of the Popstars artists

See also[link]

• Popstars Live
• Popstars (UK)
  • Popstars (UK series 1)
  • Popstars: The Rivals (UK series 2)
• Popstars (Germany)
• Popstars (Netherlands)
  • So You Wanna Be a Popstar (Netherlands)
• So You Wanna Be a Popstar? (New Zealand)
• Popstars (UK) discography

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official Popstars Germany
• Popstars at the National Film and Sound Archive
• Popstars France (casting)
• Popstar Ukrain

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Popstars

Nicole Scherzinger
Scherzinger at the The X Factor USA Backstage, December 2011
Background information
Birth name	Nicole Prescovia Elikolani Valiente
Born	(1978-06-29) June 29, 1978 (age 33) Honolulu, Hawaii, United States
Genres	Pop/rock, R&B, dance-pop
Occupations	Singer-songwriter, actress, dancer, model, record producer
Instruments	Vocals, piano
Years active	2001–present
Labels	Interscope, A&M, Polydor UK
Associated acts	Eden's Crush, Pussycat Dolls, Days of the New
Website	nicolescherzingermusic.com

Nicole Prescovia Elikolani Valiente Scherzinger (born June 29, 1978) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, record producer, model and actress. Scherzinger is well known as the lead singer of the Pussycat Dolls. Previously, Scherzinger was a backing vocalist for the late-1990s rock group Days of the New and was a part of reality TV girl group Eden's Crush. After the disbandment of the group, she joined the Pussycat Dolls and became the group's lead vocalist during their transition into a career in music.

The Pussycat Dolls rose to prominence when they enlisted Scherzinger as their lead front woman of the group. When Scherzinger joined the now multi-platinum group, they became a worldwide phenomenon, releasing two albums, PCD (2008) and Doll Domination (2008) and embarked on several concert tours.^[1] With her strong vocal range, Scherzinger scored the group a string of massive hit singles, including the number ones "Don’t Cha" (2005) and "Buttons" (2006), "Stickwitu" (2005), "I Hate This Part" (2008), and "When I Grow Up" (2008), which hit the Top 10 in 16 countries. In 2009, Scherzinger wrote and recorded an adaptation of A.R. Rahman’s "Jai Ho" (from the film "Slumdog Millionaire") which went to number one in 17 countries. Their debut album, PCD, has sold nine million copies worldwide, and their sophomore album, Doll Domination, has sold 5 million copies worldwide to date. The group won three Billboard Music Awards, two MTV Video Music Awards, and toured with Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, and The Black Eyed Peas.^[2][3] The Dolls have sold 15 million albums, and 37 million singles worldwide, making them one of the best selling girl groups of all time.

After leaving the group in December 2010, Scherzinger began a solo career with the release of her debut studio album Killer Love. The album's second single, "Don't Hold Your Breath" peaked at number one on the UK Singles Chart, marking her first number one hit as a solo artist.^[4] Scherzinger became the winner of the tenth season of Dancing with the Stars in early 2010. She was a judge on the first season of the US version of The X Factor, which premiered in September 2011.

Early life[link]

Scherzinger was born Nicole Prescovia Elikolani Valiente in Honolulu, Hawaii, into a staunchly Roman Catholic family.^[5][6] Her father, Alfonso Valiente, is of Filipino descent, and her mother, Rosemary, is mixed Hawaiian and Russian descent, as Nicole's grandmother was Russian while her grandfather is Hawaiian.^{[7][8][9][10][11]} Her mother was eighteen at the time of Scherzinger's birth and lived in an inner city neighborhood.^[12] Scherzinger's parents separated when she was still a baby. When she was six years old, her maternal family moved to Louisville, Kentucky,^[13] with her sister, Keala, and her German American stepfather, Gary Scherzinger. She took her stepfather's surname after he adopted her.^[13]

She first attended Bowen Elementary, and later attended Meyzeek Middle School as an adolescent. Scherzinger states that, growing up, her family did not have a lot of money, and she thanks her mother for all the support she gave her to become what she is today. Scherzinger began performing in Louisville, attending the Youth Performing Arts School at duPont Manual High School, and performing with Actors Theatre of Louisville.^[13] As a teenager, Scherzinger was the first runner-up at the 1996 Kentucky State Fair's Coca-Cola Talent Classic contest.^[13]

Music career[link]

2001–02: Career beginnings[link]

In 2001 Scherzinger competed in the premiere season of The WB's television show, Popstars, on which she earned a spot in the all-girl pop group Eden's Crush alongside the other four chosen members Ivette Sosa, Maile Misajon, Ana Maria Lombo and Rosanna Tavarez . Eventually, she became one of the main vocalists for the group. The group's 2001 US single, "Get Over Yourself (Goodbye)", peaked at number one in sales and hit the top ten on Billboard Hot 100. At the time Eden's Crush was touring in support of both *NSync and Jessica Simpson.^[14] Scherzinger was approached to be the fourth member of The Black Eyed Peas, but was forced to decline because she was a member of Eden's Crush and was under contract. The position was given, instead, to Fergie. Later, however, Eden's Crush' record company, London-Sire Records, folded and the group eventually disbanded.^[15] In November 2007 Scherzinger spoke of her time in Eden's Crush:

It was hell... I was in a band with five other girls and every day was torture for me. We were on TV all the time and the atmosphere was awful... Every day I was in that band I cried my eyes out. The band was meant to be fun and frivolous but the reality was that it was miserable... I was too sensitive back then, but I got toughened up. I couldn't have gone into the Dolls without my experience in Crush.^[12]

After the disbanding of Eden's Crush, Scherzinger made a few promotional solo appearances under the stage name of Nicole Kea, including covering "Breakfast in Bed" for the soundtrack to 50 First Dates in 2003.^[16] Scherzinger later worked with Yoshiki of Japanese rock band X Japan on his Violet UK project. She sang the English version of "I'll Be Your Love" live with the Tokyo Symphonic Orchestra. The track also appeared on the 2003 Various Artists album Exposition of Global Harmony.

2003–10: The Pussycat Dolls[link]

The Pussycat Dolls in 2006.

In May 2003, Scherzinger joined the Pussycat Dolls burlesque troupe, who were being re-cast as recording artists. She had first seen them performing on The Late Show with David Letterman in November 2002, where Carmen Electra sang "Big Spender" from the Bob Fosse musical Sweet Charity. In 2006, Scherzinger said "It caught my eye because I’d played Velma Kelly in [Fosse's] Chicago in college."^[17] In one interview she spoke of her role with the Pussycat dolls stating that it was a "challenge fronting the group" but that "every girl has something different to bring and add to the success".^[18] The success of PCD brought Scherzinger into the media spotlight and she went on to record a series of duets/guest vocals with a wide array of male vocalists. In 2005, she appeared on recordings by Shaggy, Vittorio Grigolo and Will Smith. In 2006 she sang co-lead vocals with Avant on his single "Lie About Us", and Diddy's hit "Come to Me" (which she also co-wrote). Other appearances are listed in discography. In the biography section of her official website she says that everyone recognises her from the Pussycat Dolls's debut single "Dont Cha" which although amazing does not fulfill her musical desires. When asked what she intended to achieve with her solo career she commented "Some people only have their glasses half full, but there was never a limit to mine."^[19] The purpose of the album was to appeal to younger audiences, show them "the heart of Nicole" and show that she is "not always strong and fearless".

Doubt was cast over the future of the album when the Pussycat Dolls released their second album Doll Domination which featured some of the songs which had initially been recorded for Scherzinger's own album. "Happily Never After" and "Who's Gonna Love You" were placed on the album with no changes whilst additional backing vocals were added to "When I Grow Up" before it was released as the album's lead single.^[20] In 2010 during an interview with X magazine she also revealed that "I Hate This Part", a song which became a top-ten hit in Europe for the Pussycat Dolls, was also intended for her own solo album.^[21] Christopher "Tricky Stewart" and The-Dream were also working with Scherzinger and produced, wrote and recorded at least two songs for the album. Both of the known recordings, "Punch You In Your Sleep" and "I'm a Cheat" were re-allocated to The-Dream's ex-wife Christina Milian who has recorded them for her fourth studio album Elope due in 2010.^[22]

Furthermore it was revealed that Keri Hilson (a writer who has been heavily involved in writing for the Pussycat Dolls) had written a song called "Alienated" for Scherzinger, however when the album was delayed and shelved Hilson reclaimed the song and instead recorded the song with producer Cory Bold for her own debut studio album In a Perfect World...^[23] Reviews later went on to give the song critical acclaim for its "electro-blips and whispery raps that are alluring."^[24][25] In September 2009 it was confirmed that the teary ballad, "Just Say Yes" was reclaimed by Gary Lightbody who has since re-tooled and reworked the song.^[26] It was released as the lead single from his band, Snow Patrol's compilation album Up to Now, on November 2, 2009.^[27] Addressing the delayed release of her solo album, in September 2008 Scherzinger said, "Despite what other people might write, it was my decision, ultimately. I actually put some of my solo songs on the Pussycat Dolls' new album Doll Domination. Everything is all about timing. I believe it will come out next year, and it will be able to coexist wonderfully with the Dolls' album. It's completely separate from what you've heard with "Baby Love" and "Whatever U Like," and I'm still working on it — that's what happens when you're a perfectionist."^[28] She was interviewed by Billboard magazine in April 2009 regarding her own career plans as well as what The Dolls were up to. She said "the current incarnation of the album is just in talks and in the writing process. I haven't started recording yet." She plans to enter the studio again after the Pussycat Dolls have finished their World Domination Tour. Speaking about the project Scherzinger said she will be working again with Will.i.am, Timbaland as well as with new associates Lady Gaga and A.R. Rahman.^[29] In April 2008, Scherzinger recorded a cover version of "Rio" by Duran Duran for an advertising campaign for Unilever's Caress brand of body wash. A commercial video was released, and the single was released via download only, after May 2008.^[30] In 2008, in support of Barack Obama, she was one of many musicians to contribute to a track by will.i.am called "Yes We Can".^[31] Also on September 5, 2008, Scherzinger joined an all-star cast to perform the charity song "Just Stand Up" on live TV.^[32] The Pussycat Dolls returned to the Music scene on May 27, 2008 with the new single "When I Grow Up" which reached number nine on the U.S. Hot 100 and number one on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play. The song topped several European charts and became a worldwide top ten hit. The follow-up single "Whatcha Think About That" with Missy Elliott failed to enter the U.S. charts but managed to reach top 20 in several other countries including the UK with a limited release.

The Pussycat Dolls performing as the opening act during the The Circus Starring Britney Spears.

After a slight delay and with two singles released the album, Doll Domination was finally released as a standard and deluxe edition. The latter featured a disc with a solo song by each of the girls. The album debuted at number four on the Billboard 200, with 79,000 copies sold in its first week beating their debut album by one chart position but selling 20,000 less copies. It only spent seven weeks in the top 100, compared with their debut album which sat in the top 100 for nearly one year. In January 2009 it re-entered the top 100 following several more successful singles. The album in original form spawned two other singles, worldwide top 20 hit "I Hate This Part" and the number-one club song "Bottle Pop" which only received a limited release in the US and Oceania. On January 2009 they embarked their second world tour called Doll Domination Tour to support Doll Domination.^[33] Lady Gaga opened for them in Europe and Australia,^[34][35] while Ne-Yo supported the Pussycat Dolls in the UK leg.^[36] In mid-2009 they opened for Britney Spears' tour The Circus Starring Britney Spears on the first leg in North America.^[37] In April 2009 Scherzinger confirmed to Billboard that the album would be re-released to give more people a chance to get their music.^[38] In Europe the album was re-released with three or four new songs.^[39] In Australia a compilation called Doll Domination 2.0 was released with six songs from the original version plus four new songs whereas the UK received a six-song EP called Doll Domination: The Mini Collection released on April 27, 2009 featuring four of the original songs plus a remix and a new song.^[40] In August 2009 the album was repackaged once more, this time as Doll Domination 3.0 to include all of the previously released bonus songs on one CD with the original album. Its release was limited to Europe and the UK where the group's singles had all reached top 20. The repackaged versions spawned two more singles: the worldwide number one "Jai Ho! (You Are My Destiny)" (featured on the soundtrack for Slumdog Millionaire) and euro-pop remix of "Hush Hush" (retitled "Hush Hush; Hush Hush")^[40] which reached top 20 internationally. Following Scherzinger's over-emphasis in the release of these two singles there were several emotional outbursts to the media including one by Thornton during one of the group's appearances on tour.^[41] In 2009, Billboard ranked the Pussycat Dolls as the 80th most successful musical act of the 2000s.^[42] Scherzinger performed "America the Beautiful" at WWE's WrestleMania XXV in Houston, Texas at the Reliant Stadium on April 5, 2009.^[43] Scherzinger performed with guitarist Slash on October 2 in Las Vegas.^[44]

[edit] 2006–08: Solo guest appearances & Her Name is Nicole

Scherzinger in 2007.

From 2006 until late 2008 Scherzinger had been working on her debut album which was titled Her Name Is Nicole. She recorded/wrote about 75–100 songs for the album which was supposed to be released in 2007 before being pushed to October 16, 2008 and later into 2009 before being shelved.^[45][46] She told MTV "I've always said that in the Pussycat Dolls, I kind of feel like Superwoman. But that's just one of my alter egos. I've got the vulnerable, lovesick side of me amongst others which all appear on my record."^[47] The album saw Scherzinger work with a wide roster of producers and song writers some of whom had worked with Scherzinger for albums with the Pussycat Dolls. Sean Garrett and Polow da Don worked on "Whatever U Like" (featuring T.I.) which was released as the album's lead single^[48] on July 24, 2007 but deemed unsuccessful reaching just 57 in Canada. "Baby Love" was the second single released on September 10, 2007. Although well received and compared to the Pussycat Dolls' song "Stickwitu"^[48] the track did not chart well in the United States. Internationally the single fared well reaching Top 15 in most countries including the UK, and mainland Europe. It was remixed to be included on Doll Domination as a bonus track. The third single "Supervillain" was described as having a "danceable jam with a catchy chorus" and featured a reggae–dancehall interlude. Written by Rock City and produced by Mad Scientist it was only released to US iTunes in November 2007. Fourth single "Puakenikeni" (a type of flower in Hawaii) also released to iTunes in November was produced by Akon to as a tribute to Scherzinger's heritage^[19] but failed to chart. Other songs included the critically acclaimed "Just Say Yes", written by Gary Lightbody (of Snow Patrol) which was a soft and slow song with its pulsing, electronic beat.^[48] She told MTV of her excitement to record the song previously rejected by Gwen Stefani. "I'm such a huge fan of Snow Patrol's music, I felt like I was supposed to make it my own. "It's a very honest and truthful song."^[47] Ne-Yo gave Scherzinger two songs, "Happily Never After" a slow ballad of which Scherzinger said she felt it "important for young girls to have an empowering message that they deserve better".^[19] Interestingly the song was originally written for Britney Spears to record for her album Blackout in 2007.^[18] The other song has a tear jerking ballad called "Save Me from Myself" for which Scherzinger helped Ne-Yo in developing the hook before recording the song.^[19] When commenting on another song "March" Scherzinger said she wanted a powerful record. "It's about never giving up on your dreams and it’s about what I went through to get where I am today."^[18] Timbaland produced and featured on the song "Physical"^[19] on which his trademark vocals can be heard over the upbeat melody and thumping baseline.^[48] Part of the song was used in the film Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (which she made a short cameo in). The album sessions also produced a number of other songs including "When Your Falling" (also co-written by Akon)^[19] "Power's Out" a riveting duet with English singer Sting (featured in Revlon adverts with Jessica Alba)^[19] and "I M.I.S.S You" written by Pharrell Williams and produced by The Neptunes.^[48]

[edit] 2010–12: Killer Love and solo European tour

Scherzinger in 2011.

Scherzinger confirmed that she has done one song with Slash for his solo album Slash released in April 2010.^[49] On February 1, 2010 along with other artists Scherzinger had re-recorded "We Are the World", a charity single for the victims of the 2010 Haiti earthquake.^[50] The song debuted during NBC's coverage of the opening ceremonies of the 2010 Winter Olympics.^[51] It was released as a single on iTunes on February 12, 2010 accompanied by the music video.^[52]

Then in August 2010 Swedish-Moroccan electropop producer RedOne was interviewed by the BBC. In the interview he revealed he had been working on Scherzinger's album. "I just finished her album. Her last one never came out because it was collecting hamburgers, like fast food. One from McDonald's, one from Burger King, and so on. It tasted good, but it wasn't consistent. Her new record – people are really going to go crazy about it because it's the real her."^[53] Scherzinger confirmed these reports in a September 2010 interview with X magazine. In reference to Her Name is Nicole she said "It was actually my decision not to put it out, not the label's". Then she said "I've been working with RedOne, which is an honour. He's an unbelievable producer and musician. He had made some amazing songs with Lady Gaga. Now, there is someone with the 'x factor'. I can't touch GaGa or RedOne in that space, but I know that we've created something unique of our own."^[21] Scherzinger's new single, "Poison", premiered on her official website and YouTube account on October 14, 2010.^[54] It is due for release on November 29, 2010.^[55] A picture from the video shoot was revealed by MTV, showing Scherzinger dressed provocatively.^[56] "Poison" serves as the first single from the album and peaked at number three on the UK Singles Chart becoming Scherzinger's most successful single, until her #1 hit with "Don't Hold Your Breath" in Spring of 2011.

On November 18, 2010, she joined Prince on-stage during his concert in Abu Dhabi. While working with RedOne she has also recorded vocals for songs which will be included on Mohombi's debut album. Mohombi is the first signee to RedOne's record label.^[57] Scherzinger appeared at the Jingle Bell Ball at London's O2 Arena on December 4, 2010.^[58] The second single, "Don't Hold Your Breath", was released on March 13, 2011 and preceded the album, Killer Love, which was released March 21, 2011.^[4] The song debuted at #1 on the UK Singles Chart.^[59]

"Right There" impacted UK radio in April 2011 as the third single in the United Kingdom.^[60] For its release in the US, it was remixed to feature two new verses from American rapper 50 Cent, it serves as her first American lead single from her debut album, "Killer Love". "Right There" was released as a digital download in the US on May 17, 2011 and sent to US mainstream radio on May 24, 2011.^[61] On June 12, Scherzinger performed at Capital FM's Summertime Ball at Wembley Stadium in London.

On August 16, 2011, Scherzinger released "Don't Hold Your Breath" in the United States as her second US single. The singles,"Right There (feat. 50 Cent)" & "Don't Hold Your Breath" were to precede her debut album, "Killer Love." This version of Killer Love was originally set to feature an alternate track listing with American hip-hop artist Snoop Dogg to appear on one of the new songs recorded for the album.^[62] On The X Factor USA semi finals, Scherzinger performed a brand new song, "Pretty", which was recorded days before its performance. The album was originally planned for an August release back in 2011, but was later pushed back to November 15. Shortly after, it was confirmed that it would be released on December 6, but the album was then pushed back again to 2012. On March 23, Scherzinger revealed that the US Killer Love release was cancelled for her second album.^[63] Scherzinger has recorded more than 40 songs to be considered for her US solo debut album, but insists that it "will not be finished until the very last minute. I don't know if I will ever feel like I have finished the album."^[64]

Scherzinger also released a music video for "Wet", which was released as a single in the UK in August 2011. On November 14, 2011, Killer Love was re-released in Europe. In October 2011, Scherzinger released a new song titled "Try with Me", it is the lead single from the European re-release.^[65] The music video for "Try with Me" premiered on 18 October 2011 on MSN. Scherzinger and her team, including X Factor choreographer Brian Friedman, were held at gunpoint by a local gang when they were travelling through the mountains to the Xilitla rainforest in Mexico to shoot the video. They were released without harm but shaken by the experience.^[66][67] To further promote the album, Scherzinger began her Killer Love Tour on February 13, 2012.^[68][69]

2012: Return from music hiatus and sophomore studio album[link]

After being a judge on the The X Factor, Scherzinger was let go from the competition series, as part of a "re-imaginging" Fox Broadcasting Company and Simon Cowell were venturing into. She confirmed that 2012 would be all about her music. Scherzinger had also started her very first solo tour in Europe and Asia in early 2012, promptly titled the Killer Love Tour. When asked about the tour she said, "I'm so excited about this tour. I'm in the process of getting ready for it, doing a lot of research. I know that it's a theatre tour so I want to make sure the show is well rounded and that I draw up the proper set list. There'll be a little bit of everything in there: singing and dancing, a Pussycat Dolls set, a stripped back acoustic set, and my own songs."^[70] Scherzinger also confirmed she is currently working on a new album.^[71]

Supplementary ventures[link]

Acting[link]

Scherzinger has made minor appearances as an actress. She appeared in the TV comedy, Half & Half, My Wife and Kids and the 2003 film, Love Don't Cost a Thing. She also had a role in 2001 as one of the "Pop Stars" in the episode, "Finally!", of the show Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, and also made appearances in Wanda at Large, Chasing Papi, Be Cool and Cane. Scherzinger was intended to be cast in one of the lead roles in the upcoming movie with the Filipino Boxing Champion, Manny Pacquiao, together with professional wrestler, Dave Batista. She was about to play the leading lady of the Filipino Champ, but her audition was cancelled and the role went to the Filipina actress, Ruffa Mae Quinto. She also made an appearance in the Nickelodeon show, Big Time Rush, as herself. In 2010 Scherzinger appeared in the How I Met Your Mother episode "Glitter", as Robin Scherbatsky's former best friend, Jessica Glitter. She has also recorded a version of "GoldenEye" — the theme song of the 1995 Bond film GoldenEye — for the 2010 video game GoldenEye 007. Scherzinger portrayed Lily Poison in the film Men in Black 3, released May 25, 2012.^[72]

Modelling[link]

In 2006 she made a "Bench Body" brand underwear commercial in the Philippines, and in October 2008 she promoted Clear Shampoo and Conditioner. Both commercials were reportedly aired throughout Southeast Asia. She appeared in a Nike shoe commercial with basketball player LeBron James. In 2010 she made a commercial for the C&A campaign.^[73] She appeared on the covers of numerous Cosmopolitan editions (British, Bulgarian, Croatian, Estonian, Italian, Indonesian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Mexican, Mongolian, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish and others). Scherzinger frequently has appeared in FHM Magazine's 100 Sexiest Women poll, ranking #49 in 2006, #22 in 2007, #49 in 2008, #60 in 2009, and #73 in 2010. In 2011 she jumped 64 places to rank #9.^[74]

Musical theatre[link]

Scherzinger majored in acting and musical theatre at Wright State University, where she played Velma Kelly in Chicago and Julie La Verne in Show Boat.^[17] She put her studies on hold in 1999 to sing backing vocals for the rock band, Days of the New.^[75]

In late 2009 it was reported that Scherzinger was working closely with Andrew Lloyd Webber on the musical Love Never Dies, the sequel to The Phantom of the Opera.^[76] Although she has not yet appeared in the show, her version of the title song - Love Never Dies - was played on the Chris Evans Breakfast Show on Monday 1 April 2011.^[77]

On June 4, 2010, it was announced that Scherzinger would take on the role of Maureen in the Hollywood Bowl production of the rock musical Rent, directed by Neil Patrick Harris.^[78] She played the role from August 6–8, 2010.

On October 28, 2010, Scherzinger took part in the 35th anniversary of The Rocky Horror Picture Show.^[79]

As part of the 25th Anniversary of The Phantom of the Opera, Scherzinger performed the title song at The Royal Variety Performance - held in The Lowry, Manchester - on Monday 5 December 2011. She performed alongside four former Phantoms (Simon Bowman, Earl Carpenter, John Owen-Jones and Ramin Karimloo). The performance was aired on ITV1 on Wednesday 14 December 2011.^[80] Her performance received critical acclaim.

Reality television[link]

In December 2009 Scherzinger served as a celebrity judge on NBC's reality singing competition, The Sing-Off,^[81] along with singer-songwriter Ben Folds and Boyz II Men bandmember Shawn Stockman. The show was hosted by singer Nick Lachey. Scherzinger's role was to critique performances of the competitors and vote on eliminations in all but the final round, which was determined by audience vote. In the show finale, Scherzinger performed "You Don't Own Me" with competition finalists the Beelzebubs of Tufts University. She returned to her role as judge for a second season of The Sing-Off in December 2010, but did not return for a third season.

On March 1, 2010, it was announced that Scherzinger would be a celebrity contestant on Dancing with the Stars for the tenth season and would be partnered with Season 7 champion Derek Hough.^[82] On May 25, 2010 Scherzinger won Dancing with the Stars season 10.^[83]

On July 1, 2010, MTV reported the media mogul, Simon Cowell, had hired Scherzinger as a guest judge for the seventh series of the UK reality TV series The X Factor after regular judge, Dannii Minogue, went on maternity leave. According to The Daily Mail, she was one of several celebrities being considered for a role on the U.S. version of The X Factor, and so the role on the UK version served as an important screen test and opportunity to impress the producers.^[84] Following praise from the show's producers, Scherzinger was asked to return as a guest judge after it was discovered that Cole had contracted malaria and was unable to film the 'bootcamp' stages of the competition.^[85] Fellow judge and permanent panel member Louis Walsh praised Scherzinger, saying "My favourite though was Nicole who I had never met before. This girl has the X Factor in every way. She just got it, was incredibly impressive and ticked every box."^[86] The host of the show, Dermot O'Leary, also praised Scherzinger, saying she was his favourite guest judge. "She was brilliant, tailor-made for it and hilarious too. We were all stunned by her beauty."^[87] Scherzinger has been credited in the formation of One Direction, which includes: Zayn Malik, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson, Liam Payne, and Harry Styles. She also left her mark on the competition after she persuaded producers to change the ages of the judging categories. An X Factor spokesman told the media that "At Nicole's suggestion, and agreed by Simon and Louis, the boys' and girls' category age limit has been increased to 28. The judges believe this will strengthen the competition and talent."^[88] Additionally, it was reported that Scherzinger would be asked to help Cowell or Walsh during the "judges' houses" stages of the competition where each judge is given a category of acts to mentor and then, with the help of other celebrities and musicians, they choose three acts to take through the live finals.^[89] However, this proved to be wrong as Walsh chose Sharon Osbourne and Cowell chose Sinitta.

On May 5, 2011, Scherzinger was announced as one of two co-hosts of the first season of Cowell's U.S. version of The X Factor alongside Steve Jones. On June 6, a Fox press release announced Scherzinger would replace Cheryl Cole, whose contract had been terminated. As a result, Scherzinger joined the judging panel alongside Cowell, Paula Abdul, and L.A. Reid, leaving Jones to host The X Factor by himself. The show premiered on Fox on September 21, 2011.^[90] Scherzinger mentored the Over 30s category throughout season one where her most successful act was Josh Krajick who came second overall in the competition. During the Judges' Houses stage of the competition, Scherzinger was aided by friend and fellow artist Enrique Iglesias to help decide which of her acts should go through to the Live Shows stage. Her Judges' Houses location was in Malibu, California. Scherzinger created immense controversy on the show when her vote was put to deadlock and the the public vote sent home contestant Rachel Crow on December 8, 2011. Scherzinger also faced backlash from the millions of fans watching the show. A source said: Nicole was ­hysterical ­backstage, screaming "I can’t do this anymore." She has also told producers she was terrified to leave her house due to death threats as she was visibly upset by the result. When Steve Jones asked Scherzinger if she had anything to say, she shook her head and turned away, and she was booed by the audience for taking the vote to deadlock.^[91][92]

On January 30, 2012, it was confirmed that Scherzinger would not return to The X Factor along with host Steve Jones and fellow judge Paula Abdul due to Cowell and FOX deciding not to renew their contracts.^[93]

On May 29, 2012, it was officially confirmed that Scherzinger will return to The X Factor as a judge for the London Auditions.^[94]

Artistry[link]

Influences[link]

Scherzinger's style has been influenced by rock n' roll ever since her start in the business. She claims that she prefers wearing a "grown up" style of clothing including leather jackets and boots, which can be seen on her very first solo tour. When asked about her trend, she told People: "My style has evolved into being a little bit more grown up. It's rock 'n' roll inspired, but chic. Glam rock." She also added: "If I wear a lace dress, I throw on a leather jacket to toughen things up, or some crazy boots. "I like dresses that are sassy, but have clean lines."^[95]

Scherzinger's idol, Houston.

Scherzinger biggest influence on music has been Whitney Houston. When Scherzinger was growing up, she received a Christmas gift at the age of six. It was a tiny purple boombox and a cassette of Whitney Houston’s chart-topping 1985 self-titled debut album. "My parents had no money, but they got me this player and Whitney’s album, which had ‘Greatest Love of All’ on it," Scherzinger recalls. "That was it for me. From that moment on I wanted to sing. Her voice was so powerful; every note she sang just felt like the truth."^[2] Her other musical influences are Tina Turner, Prince and Michael Jackson.^[96] Scherzinger has also revealed to BANG Showbiz that, "music was a very big part of her inspiration for the character" she plays in her upcoming film debut, Men In Black 3. She said, "I listened to my heavier music and I listened to Led Zeppelin and I kind of got in that frame of mind because music is what inspires me most. I worked with my acting coach a lot and she told me about lots of crazy things to think about while I was in character, but I better not tell you what she said."^[97]

Scherzinger also cites fellow The X Factor USA judge Paula Abdul as one of her biggest influences when she was young. When she spoke of sitting beside Abdul on the judging panel in 2011 she said 'it's really a dream come true for me'.

Public image[link]

Scherzinger admits it's "frustrating" to read about the media's portrayal of her as "a man-eater". Scherzinger split from Lewis Hamilton back in October 2011, and has since been linked to a number of different men, but insists none of the rumours are true. "It annoys me," Nicole told Look magazine. "I'm a very classy girl. I have very strong morals."I've only dated a few men in my life, so to read the news that I've got a new guy every week, it makes me look like I'm easily distracted or that any guy can have me, I'm not like that." Nicole added: "I'm not a man-eater, I'm quite the opposite."^[98]

After appearing as a judge on The X Factor, Scherzinger’s public image has declined, though it has undoubtedly raised her profile. She has confessed, "the elimination process has been really hard… it’s something I could have never prepared for." She has also received death threats after being on the show. Scherzinger said, "To get death threats is like, really scary for me. I was like, 'Now America is going to blame this on me, and it's not in my heart!" Scherzinger went to a deadlock after finding it hard to choose between Marcus Canty and Crow, forcing producers to send Crow home. Upon finding out she was going home, Crow collapsed on the stage. After the emotional moment, Scherzinger revealed, "Rachel came into the room and she was a little angel. She said, 'I'm okay. Everything will be okay."^[99]

Personal life[link]

Scherzinger considers herself to be a devout Roman Catholic.^[100] After a three-year relationship and engagement to 311 singer, Nick Hexum, as well as a brief relationship with reality TV star, Talan Torriero, Scherzinger began dating 2008 Formula One World Champion, Lewis Hamilton in 2008. She had met Hamilton at the European Music Awards in Munich in November 2007. They went public at the Monaco Grand Prix six months later. The couple split in January 2010 when they had been together for 20 months. However, in July 2011 Scherzinger’s father, Alfonso Valiente, confirmed the couple were engaged. On October 21, 2011 it was reported that the couple had split again. Scherzinger and Hamilton continued seeing each other, confirmed their reunion on December 2, 2011. The couple blamed their hectic lifestyles for the on-off relationship.^{[101][102][103]}

Over the past five years, Scherzinger has been ranked in Maxim's Hot 100 at 22 and 21 in 2006 and 2007 respectively. In 2008 she ranked at number 19 along with the Pussycat Dolls. In 2009 she ranked at number 49^[104] and in 2010 at number 24.^[105] In 2011, Scherzinger was ranked at 51.^[106]

Discography[link]

As a Pussycat Doll

• PCD (2005)
• Doll Domination (2008)

As a solo artist

• Killer Love (2011)

Tours[link]

As a Pussycat Doll

• Honda Civic Tour (2006)
• Back to Basics Tour (2007)
• PCD World Tour (2006–2007)
• Doll Domination Tour (2009)
• The Circus Starring Britney Spears (2009)
• World Domination (The Re-Visit) (2009)

As a solo artist

• Killer Love Tour (2012)

Filmography[link]

Television[link]

Films[link]

Awards and nominations[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Nicole Scherzinger

• Official website
• Nicole Scherzinger at the Internet Movie Database

Yvonne Strahovski
Yvonne Strahovski at the Toronto International Film Festival 2011.
Born	Yvonne Strzechowski (1982-07-30) 30 July 1982 (age 29) Sydney, Australia
Residence	Los Angeles
Occupation	Actress
Years active	2004–present

Yvonne Strahovski (born Yvonne Strzechowski; 30 July 1982) is an Australian actress. Born in Australia to Polish immigrant parents, Strahovski speaks Polish and English. After graduating from the University of Western Sydney, she featured in a number of Australian television shows. She then starred as Sarah Walker in the American television series Chuck^[1], a role of which she is widely known for. She is also noted as the voice of Miranda Lawson in the Mass Effect trilogy.

Early life[link]

Strahovski was born in Campbelltown, a suburb of Sydney, as Yvonne Strzechowski to Peter and Bozena Strzechowski.^[2] Her parents had emigrated from Warsaw, Poland. She adopted the more phonetic spelling of Strahovski as her stage name at Chuck, which was at producer Josh Schwartz's behest for the sake of easier pronunciation. Strahovski's father is an electronic engineer, and her mother works as a lab technician.^[3] Strahovski started acting when she played Viola in a school production of Twelfth Night.^[4]

She spent her high school years attending Santa Sabina College, Strathfield. She graduated from University of Western Sydney's Theatre Nepean in 2003.^[5]

Career[link]

Strahovski started her career in Australia appearing in film and TV roles, including a turn on satirical show Double the Fist and a part as Freya Lewis in the Australian drama series headLand. She has also appeared in Channel Nine's Sea Patrol.

She sent in her audition tape for the show Chuck while in the United States auditioning for roles in other shows, namely NBC's 2007 series Bionic Woman.^[6] She sent in an audition tape while waiting to hear from the other two jobs. She was contacted by the producers of Chuck the next day to come in to "run lines" with Zachary Levi. The producers called her back a week later letting her know she had been cast as Sarah Walker. Six months later, she moved to the United States.^{[citation needed]}

Strahovski speaks fluent Polish and employed it in a brief exchange with a colleague in the Chuck episode "Chuck Versus the Wookiee" and again in the episodes "Chuck Versus the Three Words" and "Chuck Versus the Honeymooners". Although she portrays an American in the series, she briefly spoke in a "Hollywood" Australian accent in the episode "Chuck Versus the Ex" .

Strahovski appears in Mass Effect Galaxy, Mass Effect 2 and Mass Effect 3 as the voice of Miranda Lawson. Strahovski had her face scanned and animated so she could portray Lawson in Mass Effect 2. Strahovski voices Aya Brea in the English version of the Parasite Eve spinoff, The 3rd Birthday, which was released on March 2011 for the PlayStation Portable. She also appeared in a CollegeHumor sketch in April 2011, parodying the music styles of Katy Perry, Ke$ha, and Lady Gaga.^[7]

Strahovski appeared in the 2011 film Killer Elite, alongside Jason Statham, Clive Owen, and Robert De Niro.^[8] In May 2011, she joined the comedy My Mother's Curse, opposite Seth Rogen and Barbra Streisand.^[9]

In 2010, Strahovski received the Teen Choice Award for Choice Action TV Actress for Chuck, as well as a nomination for Spike Video Game Awards for Best Performance by a Human Female for Mass Effect 2. In 2011, Strahovski was nominated again for the Teen Choice Awards for Choice Action TV Actress. In 2011, Cosmopolitan Magazine (Australia) awarded Strahovski the Fun Fearless Female of the Year along with Favorite TV Actress.

In November 2011, she was cast as the female lead in I, Frankenstein.^[10] In March 2012, she was featured in a new SoBe Life commercial. And in May 2012, Strahovski ranked #35 in Maxim Hot 100 2012.

Filmography[link]

References[link]