Nicole Scherzinger

Nicole Scherzinger (/ˈʃɜːrzɪŋər/; born Nicole Prescovia Elikolani Valiente; June 29, 1978) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, dancer and television personality. Born in Honolulu, Hawaii and raised in Louisville, Kentucky, she was passionate about musical theater, and performed in high school plays throughout her teenage years. She then studied at Wright State University before dropping out to pursue a musical career alongside the American rock band Days of the New and later auditioning for Popstars, where she became a member of the short-lived girl group Eden's Crush. Scherzinger rose to fame as the lead singer of the burlesquetroupe-turned-recording act the Pussycat Dolls, who became one of the world's best-selling girl groups and the best-selling girl group of the 2000s. During their hiatus, she 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 successfully ventured into television winning the tenth season of Dancing with the Stars and becoming a judge on The Sing-Off and on both US and UK versions of The X Factor. She has released two studio albums; Killer Love (2011), which was released to moderate success and was preceded by the number-one single "Don't Hold Your Breath", and Big Fat Lie (2014). As an actress, Scherzinger debuted on the West End in a revival of the musical Cats, receiving a nomination for a Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role and has appeared in a number of feature films, including a starring role in the television movie, Dirty Dancing (2017).

Throughout her career, she has had a total of three UK number one singles, two of which emanating from recording group the Pussycat Dolls and one as a solo artist. Scherzinger 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, she 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 collaborated with Missguided to design a highly successful clothing line. She is also an ambassador for UNICEF and a global ambassador for the Special Olympics and is involved in charitable activities.

She played Penny in the remake of Dirty Dancing.