Cheryl: “I’m scared I’ll be found out”
After a three-year hiatus from TV and reports of a rift with her new co-star, Cheryl is feeling nervous about her role on talent show The Greatest Dancer
❛ SHE CAN’T BEAR THE THOUGHT OF PEOPLE TEARING INTO HER AGAIN
She suffered a difficult end to the year when her longawaited comeback single, Love Made Me Do It, failed to ignite the charts. Cheryl was also repeatedly slammed for her “cringy” performances –including a bizarre hand lick – but she’d been pinning fresh hope on her new judging role on talent show The Greatest Dancer, which starts this week.
However, ahead of the show’s debut, Cheryl, 35, was forced to deny claims of a spat with her co-judge Oti Mabuse, after a source claimed they’d fallen out over Cheryl’s “air of superiority” and being a “bit of a diva”. The allegations followed Closer’s report that she was also nervous about a historic feud with the show’s presenter, Alesha Dixon.
FEELING NERVOUS
And pals say Cheryl has suffered some last-minute nerves about how her first TV role in three years will be received by viewers.
A source says, “She hasn’t done TV work for a while and she’s a bit nervous about the public reaction. She’s had a difficult year and can’t bear the thought of people tearing into her again. Her default when she’s stressed or worried is to become more introverted, which some people misinterpret as being superior.”
Cheryl has always been praised for her impressive dance moves and energetic performances, but pals say she’s had confidence issues while on the judging panel next to pro dancer and former Strictly star Oti and former Broadway performer Matthew Morrison.
In the 2008 Girls Aloud autobiography, Cheryl hinted at her insecurities in the glitzy showbiz world, revealing, “I was struggling in the beginning, going from being Cheryl from a Newcastle council estate to being Cheryl Tweedy the pop star. Sometimes I had feelings of being ungrateful.”
AN ‘IMPOSTER’
The source adds, “Cheryl is a natural when it comes to dancing, but she doesn’t have the same level of professional training as Matthew and Oti, and she sometimes felt during filming that the onus was on her to prove she deserved to be there. In a way, the show has actually deepened her fear of being seen as an imposter in the industry.”
Cheryl was also reported to have lost out on the role of Roxy in West End musical Chicago to Caroline Flack – something Cheryl has denied. Her lucrative £4m L’oréal contract also ended last year.
The source says, “She puts on a strong front, but she can’t shake off the horrible feeling of being found out for not being good enough. Her loved ones are all reassuring her, but she’s lost a lot of confidence.”
As Closer recently reported, Cheryl’s been leaning on ex Liam Payne – with whom she shares one-year-old Bear – for support.
The source adds, “He feels bad for her as he knows this must be hitting her hard, and has reassured her that he’s there for her. And Bear always lifts her spirits, so she’s determined to come back fighting for him.”
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