TOP CAT: Nicole Scherzinger

She’s back on The X Factor’s judging panel (8pm, ITV), and here, we take a look at the career of the TV talent show contestant turned Pussycat Doll turned TV talent show judge…

The one: Born in Hawaii in 1978, Nicole moved to Kentucky when she was six, and soon after heard Whitney Houston for the first time: ‘I love her – she’s the reason why I sing.’

She’s a winner: Her first brush with fame was on US TV singing contest Popstars in 2001, singing Whitney’s version of I Will Always Love You at the audition. She was one of the girls chosen to form the group Eden’s Crush. Their record label folded at the end of the year, and it was all over before it even got started.

Girl power: Two years later, Nicole was fronting another female group. The Pussycat Dolls were together until 2009, and became one of the bestselling girl groups of all time, with singles such as Don’t Cha and Stickwitu. Nicole became an international star, and embarked on a solo career after the Dolls disbanded. Power of X: Her first appearance on The X Factor was as a guest judge, standing in for both Dannii Minogue and Cheryl Cole in the 2010 UK series. Later, she joined the judging panels of both the US and UK versions for short stints, before returning to the UK show this year. Transatlantic life: Nicole lives in LA, but often works in the UK. In 2014, she received rave reviews for her West End debut in Cats, playing Grizabella. ‘I do feel like an honorary Brit. I could see myself having a home here, definitely. I love the people here; I get a warm feeling from them.’