Cheryl is poised to make a remarkable TV comeback as a coach on The Voice UK. The Geordie singer, 43, is returning to her TV talent roots more than 20 years after first finding fame as a contestant on Popstars: The Rivals in 2002, when she became part of pop group Girls Aloud.
Cheryl's TV comeback
Further fame followed in 2008 when she joined the judging panel of The X Factor and became a popular onscreen presence, much‑loved by competitors and viewers alike.
Now, after spending years caring for her son Bear, nine, from her relationship with the late One Direction star Liam Payne, Cheryl is set to return to the nation's screens, The Sun reports.
An insider revealed Cheryl will join her friend Will.i.am as The Voice UK begins filming in the next few weeks, with Stacey Solomon and Alesha Dixon acting as hosts.
The source added: "Every year producers ask Cheryl to go on the show, and it's a polite 'no' as the timing has never quite been right. "This year it's different. She feels ready to re‑enter the spotlight and talks are now in the final stages. "Things could come crashing down but with three weeks to go until filming kicks off, the production team is working on the assumption she will be doing it. "It helps that long‑term friend Will.i.am will be beside her on the panel."
Impact on North American talent shows
The Voice franchise also airs in Canada and the United States, where recent seasons have seen former pop stars return as coaches, highlighting the cross‑border appeal of the format. Canadian viewers may recall similar comebacks on The Voice Canada, while the U.S. version has featured high‑profile judges such as Kelly Clarkson, underscoring how such moves can boost ratings.
Girls Aloud enjoyed a successful career in the charts throughout the noughties, with four number one singles including their debut "Sound Of The Underground" in 2002, "I'll Stand By you" in 2004, "Walk This Way" in 2007 and "The Promise" in 2008, as well as other top ten hits "Something Kinda Oooh", "Love Machine" and "Jump".
Cheryl became a household name in her own right when she joined the judging panel of The X Factor from 2008 to 2010, as well as her high‑profile marriage to English footballer Ashley Cole, which ended in divorce in 2010.
She also launched a solo career, scoring five number one singles on the UK charts with "Fight for This Love", "Promise This", "Call My Name", "Crazy Stupid Love" and "I Don't Care" between 2009 and 2014.
Cheryl was at the peak of her success when she flew stateside to star as a judge on the first season of The X Factor USA in 2011, alongside Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul and L.A. Reid. However, network executives feared US audiences would struggle to understand her Geordie accent, leading to her replacement with Nicole Scherzinger in the early weeks of filming.
Cheryl later revealed her acrimonious fallout with Simon Cowell over the incident in her autobiography, "My Story", published in October 2012. Despite the fiasco, the two later appeared to patch up their differences and Cheryl returned to screens on The X Factor UK in 2014 and 2015.