Happy 40th Birthday Cheryl!

Ahead of the pop star's milestone birthday, we take a look back at her life and career

- ARIANA LONGSON

RISE TO FAME 

In 2002, then a nervous 19-year-old, Cheryl Tweedy first appeared on our screens when she auditioned for ITV's Popstars: The Rivals. After impressing judges Geri Halliwell, Louis Walsh and Pete Waterman with her rendition of S Club 7's Have You Ever, Cheryl was soon catapulted into the spotlight. Little did she know that she'd go on to win the show alongside new bandmates Kimberley, Sarah, Nicola and Nadine, and later be dubbed the nation's sweetheart. The band, Girls Aloud, went on to release five studio albums and were at one point the UK's biggest-selling girl group of the 21st century, with over 4.3 million singles sales and four million albums sold in the UK alone. They performed globally before announcing a three-year hiatus in 2010. In 2013, they returned with new music and embarked on Ten: The Hits Tour before splitting permanently later that year.

FLYING SOLO