Girls Aloud are a British girl group created by ITV1 talent show Popstars: The Rivals in 2002. The group, consisting of Cheryl Cole, Kimberley Walsh, Nadine Coyle, Nicola Roberts and Sarah Harding, has become one of the most successful British pop groups of the decade, with a record-breaking 19 consecutive Top 10 singles (including four number ones) and six albums (including two number ones). They are Smash Hits poll winners, have won a TMF Award and have been nominated for two BRIT Awards.

Girls Aloud hold the record for the shortest time between formation and reaching number one in the UK Charts (with their platinum-selling début single “Sound of the Underground”), and have since become one of the few reality television groups to achieve continued success. Guinness World Records lists them as “Most Successful Reality TV Group” in the 2007 edition, and they also hold the record for “Most Consecutive Top Ten Entries in the UK by a Female Group” in the 2008 edition, with 15 consecutive top tens from “Sound of the Underground” in 2002 through to “Walk This Way” in 2007. Girls Aloud have since extended this record to 19 consecutive Top 10s from debut — the most recent being “The Promise” which reached #1 in October 2008.

Girls Aloud have a number of diverse fans including the Jonas Brothers, Matt Helders, Chris Martin, Duff McKagan, and Neil Tennant. They have had their music covered by artists as varied as Arctic Monkeys, Billy Corgan, Coldplay,and Mark Morriss.

Nicola Roberts (born Nicola Maria Roberts, 5 October 1985) is an English singer and make up designer, most famous for being the youngest member of pop group Girls Aloud. She is also known for creating the beauty range Dainty Doll

Girls Aloud were formed after auditioning for a UK TV show, Popstars: The Rivals. Roberts was originally eliminated before the final stage, but was brought back into the final ten after another contestant, Nicola Ward, pulled out of the show after objecting to the show’s contract. Roberts started her career singing with a girl group at her local discotheque with a local DJ. During the Popstars: The Rivals, she sang “River Deep – Mountain High”, “Shout”, “Wind Beneath My Wings” and “I’m So Excited”. She became the second girl to join Girls Aloud. In 2008, Roberts made a cameo appearance in the re-make of the St. Trinians film, playing the part of a schoolgirl with the other members of Girls Aloud, filmed in Spring 2007 and also in Britannia High with band mate Kimbley Walsh. As a member of Girls Aloud, Roberts has taken part in many events and TV shows, such as the 21 December 2007 episode of The Friday Night Project. Roberts co-hosted the show with the rest of the band.

Since the band was formed Roberts has co-written two of the group’s album tracks and two b-sides;

• “It’s Magic” (Chemistry album)
• “I Say A Prayer For You” (What Will the Neighbours Say? album)
• “I Don’t Really Hate You” (“See the Day” single)

Nicola grew up on the city of Liverpool. She split with her boyfriend of 5 years, Carl Egerton, in December 2006, citing her hectic work life as the reason for the split.

She later dated Carl Davies however, they have since broken up.

Nicola stated that “for years I felt like the ugly one in Girls Aloud. I was tall, skinny, with red hair and the whitest skin you’ve ever seen – standing next to four of the most gorgeous girls in Britain”. She considered turning to alcohol and drugs to cope with her insecurities.

In an interview for the December 2008 issue of Sugar magazine, she said to have self tanned every night and every day her make up artist would paint her entire body the same colour as fellow band members Kimberley Walsh and Cheryl Cole. ‘I stopped faking it, and started to love being me.’ Roberts told the magazine.