Nicola Roberts
| Nicola Roberts | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Nicola Maria Roberts |
| Born |
5 October 1985 Stamford, Lincolnshire, England |
| Origin | Runcorn, Cheshire, England |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) | |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Years active | 2002–present |
| Labels | |
| Associated acts | Girls Aloud |
| Website | nicolarobertsmusic |
Nicola Maria Roberts (born 5 October 1985) is an English recording artist, fashion designer, and songwriter. After auditioning and successfully completing the reality television series and competition Popstars The Rivals, Roberts became part of girl-group Girls Aloud. Their debut single "Sound of the Underground" topped the UK Singles chart. This success helped them win the competition and they were later entered in Guinness World Records as the most successful reality television music-group. The group enjoyed 20 consecutive top ten singles, spawning five albums and positive critical responses. During her time with Girls Aloud, Roberts received negative press attention for her pale skin tone and ginger hair which left her depressed with her fame.
In 2008, after releasing a pale skin make-up collection titled Dainty Doll, Roberts advocated the ban of underage usage of tanning beds with the documentary Nicola Roberts: The Truth About Tanning. Her public stance with a British MP led to a bill which banned under 18s from using tanning beds. In 2011, Roberts released her debut solo album Cinderella's Eyes and her debut single "Beat of My Drum". Both releases received critical acclaim but had mixed commercial success. Two follow-up singles "Lucky Day" and "Yo-Yo" both gained equally positive critical responses but failed commercially. The album was described as electronic-influenced and garnered positive reviews and peaked at number 17 in the United Kingdom. In November 2012, Roberts reformed with Girls Aloud and in 2013, toured for the first time in over four years on their Ten: The Hits Tour. Girls Aloud split following the tour's conclusion. Roberts' net worth was estimated at £8.01 million in October 2014.
Roberts was born in Stamford, Lincolnshire, when her mother was 17. At the time of her birth, her father was working for the RAF and the resulting pay led to financial struggles which saw her father move to work for Ford Motor Company whilst her mother became a photographer to help the family monetary problems. Roberts grew up in a "rough" council estate in Runcorn, Cheshire; she never felt threatened, but expressed concern with her younger siblings exploring the area as they "probably wouldn't come back". Despite a history of drugs in the estate she called the situation a minority and found that estates in 2010 were much worse than her own. Aged 11, Roberts and her family moved from her council estate into a middle-class area which Roberts believed was "too posh" for her and she found herself returning to the council estate to spend time with "mischievous" children from lower-class backgrounds.
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