Can Tulisa put her shocking past to rest?
Gears up for a return to the spotlight with help from Simon Cowell Reinvents herself with a classier, pared-back image Plans new music and is poised for a TV role
Flaunting her F fabulous figure poolside last week, popstar Tulisa looked back to her best as she relaxed in the LA sunshine, amid reports she’s reigniting her career after half a decade in the dark.
Just five years ago, the singer – who rose to fame with hit band N-dubz, alongside cousin Dappy and bandmate Fazer – was on top of the world. She had landed her first solo No.1 single, was crowned the “World’s Sexiest Woman”, and had replaced the nation’s sweetheart, Cheryl, on the X Factor judges’ panel. She had all the trappings of celebrity, from her own fashion range to showbiz pals and a luxury £4.5m mansion.
But it all came crashing down in June 2013, when she was arrested on suspicion of supplying class-a drugs. The case was later dropped, but the court appearances and controversy robbed her of her fame, money, reputation and dignity.
Now insiders reveal that after a lengthy spell away from the limelight, the 29 year old is secretly plotting her return to the showbiz world, and plans to finally come out on top.
SEX TAPE
A source says, “Tulisa’s public scandals turned her life upside down. She wanted to disappear from the spotlight, but it’s been a few years and she’s now finally ready to attempt a comeback.
“She’s matured, calmed down her private life, and got rid of the drama. She’s ready for her career to take off again and she wants to be back in the charts and on TV. She needed time to recover before she tried to win everyone over again.”
While N-dubz catapulted Tulisa to fame in her teens, it was Simon Cowell’s controversial decision to give her Cheryl’s coveted spot on The X Factor in 2011 that cemented the singer’s mainstream success. She mentored the now globally famous girlband Little Mix to victory – the first time a group had won the competition. But within months of her X Factor success, Tulisa was embroiled in the first of a series of scandals, which would mark her spectacular fall from grace.
In 2012, her ex-boyfriend, rapper and DJ MC Ultra, released a six-minute sex tape, damaging her reputation as a role model on a family show. A few months later, she was branded a “home wrecker” by her thenboyfriend Danny Simpson’s pregnant ex-girlfriend, who claimed the star had stolen him from her.
Tulisa described 2012 as “the worst year of my life” – but worse was yet to come.
Her career hit rock bottom in 2013, when she was accused of helping undercover journalist Mazher Mahmood get £800 worth of cocaine from one of her contacts. The reporter was later sentenced to 15 months for perverting the course of justice, and Tulisa’s trial collapsed.
SUICIDAL THOUGHTS
The singer described the scandal as ripping “my whole life apart”, as it was revealed she’d lost endorsement deals, career prospects, colleagues and had even contemplated suicide.
The source says, “Tulisa couldn’t face the pressures of fame after that – she suffered from panic attacks, depression and anxiety. She wanted to disappear – it was a hugely tough period and she learned some difficult lessons.”
As she tried to piece her life back together, Tulisa was in and out of court and, in 2015, she
was ordered to pay £3,000 after she was convicted of assaulting TOWIE star Vas Morgan. A year later, she received a 15-month driving ban after admitting drinkdriving when she crashed her Ferrari the previous year.
SLOW RETURN
Speaking about that time, Tulisa – who went from being a fashion icon to a mockery, with fans slamming her use of cosmetic surgery – said, “I call that time in my life ‘the blackout period’. It’s hard because it’s difficult to forget – so when people think of Tulisa, all of those things come to mind.”
In March, she hit the headlines again with yet another court case – this time triumphing in a fiveyear legal battle with Britney Spears and will.i.am, after she was left out of the credits for their hit song Scream And Shout. She will now will receive ten per cent royalties.
The insider says, “That legal win was a catalyst. She plans to invest the royalties in the next stage of her career. She wants to return to the studio and ideally back on TV. She’s going to shake off her old image and reinvent herself as classier and more pared-back. She’s got a trusted group of advisors, so there’ll be less drama.”
But pals say she wants to make a slow and considered return, and has been secretly implementing her plan over the past few months.
After setting up a new life in LA, she has struck up a close relationship with Simon Cowell’s partner Lauren Silverman, who’s rumoured to be behind her new “natural image.” In November, Tulisa was also praised for her appearance at the MOBO Awards – her first red-carpet appearance in over a year.
Pals say music mogul Simon, 58, is supporting her return.
The insider reveals, “Simon has always kept Tulisa under his wing. He understands she needed some time away, but he still believes in her. She thought she’d lost it all, but isn’t one to hide away – she’s going to be back with a bang.”
PR expert Nick Ede believes that, despite her catastrophic downfall, Tulisa can revive her career. He says, “She must be strategic in her comeback, but she can rise to the top again. She needs to do a show where she bares all – like Piers Morgan’s Life Stories – or win back the nation’s hearts by going on Strictly or I’m A Celeb!. She also needs to bring out a killer single – she’s got the talent. Being close to Simon is a major benefit – the nation trusts him and he can reopen doors for her in music and TV. The British love an underdog, so there’s no reason why she can’t make it second time around.”
❛SHE THOUGHT SHE’D LOST IT ALL, BUT SHE’S GOING TO BE BACK WITH A BANG❜